Roger Dow, President and CEO of the Travel Industry Association, is among the travel and tourism industry leaders expressing willingness to help U.S. President-elect Barack Obama understand the industry's importance to economic recovery.

In a statement, Dow said, “The small- and medium-sized businesses that make up more than 90 percent of America's travel community can trigger the kind of bottom-up economic growth and job creation that will put this economy back on track.” He added that his organization's agenda includes “modernizing America's infrastructure and travel processes, creating jobs, and improving the nation's energy security.”

TIA has lots of company in this regard: More than 20 travel and tourism leaders planned to meet December 16 in Washington, D.C., according to the National Tour Association, which was organizing the meeting. The intent is to come up with specific ways in which the industry can help stimulate the economy.

“We know that travel and tourism is a way to quickly inject new jobs, new income, and new tax revenues into our national economy,” said NTA president Lisa Simon, CTP. “We simply need a unified plan to make it happen.”

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