September 19, 2013

 

 

Honorable Senator Marco Rubio

317 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

 

RE:       Visit Florida Travel and Tourism Roundtable Invitation

 

Dear Senator Rubio:

 

On behalf of Visit Florida, as well as the entire travel industry here in our state, we would like to express our gratitude for your continued commitment and leadership in Congress to helping our economy recover and create jobs.  We especially appreciate your leadership on several key travel and tourism policy priorities, particularly the JOLT Act, which would significantly catapult Florida’s economy by allowing our state to welcome hundreds of thousands of more international visitors. 

To that end, it is our honor to invite you to a travel roundtable meeting with leaders of Florida’s travel industry. We are bringing together thought leaders to talk about the role that travel can play in building upon the economic recovery during the 113th Congress by enacting needed reforms to the U.S. visa program and other policy matters that affect thousands of local travel businesses and jobs here Florida.  Attendees would be comprised of state and regional travel professionals, CVBs, Hotel & Lodging Associations, Restaurant Associations, and Airport Authorities. 

In summary, the potential topics of discussion are:

• The JOLT Act, as well as its reintroduction in the 113th Congress

• The importance of government meetings, conferences and events including safety inspections, regulation and methods of conducting oversight

• Investing in America by modernizing U.S. air traffic control systems/security and implementing the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen)

• Brand USA: a non-profit partnership working to increase international travel to the United States by expanding our share of the tourism market

As you know, travel is one of the top industries – in terms of spending, tax receipts, and jobs – within Florida. In all, travel employs over 750,000 people and generates nearly $71.5 billion in local spending.  Nationally, travel fuels one in every eight jobs, and is one of our nation’s largest industries and service exports. Considering today’s economic realities, travel should be seen as an opportunity to create more jobs and turn our economy around.

 

We hope you will consider joining us for a roundtable event in a convenient location for you and your staff between now and the end of this year, where we can discuss how the travel community can work with you to grow jobs and the economy.  Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.  We will follow up with your office to discuss your availability.

 

Sincerely,

 

xxxxx

xxxxx

xxxx@xxxxx.org