The recent daily news of hundreds of cancelled flights and airlines grounding planes underscores the need for someone in the White House focused on the condition of the travel and tourism economy.

“Someone should be stepping up to thoroughly investigate the immediate impact and the long-term ramifications and be looking to a solution,” said Lisa Simon, CTP, NTA president.  “This is not only about leisure travel, but these issues also are significantly impacting our daily business needs.”

Simon said that NTA has been encouraging the presidential candidates to address travel and tourism issues, specifically the need for someone in their administration to have a travel and tourism focus. In 2007, NTA initiated its call for an Executive Office of Travel and Tourism to serve as a focal point for security, infrastructure and tourism promotional programming and to facilitate a clear and consistent dialogue on important travel-related issues.

“The travel and tourism economy is too important to the long-term health and growth of our nation for it to be ignored, and these significant issues with the airlines magnify that point,” Simon said.