Quad Cities - Communities across America celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week from May 2-10 in order to shine a light on what travel means to jobs, economic growth, and personal well-being.
"Just look at the numbers. Travel supports 15 million jobs in America, including almost 8,000 jobs right here in the Quad Cities," said Joe Taylor, president/CEO of the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau. "This week, we are celebrating what travel means to our community as well as our 25th anniversary year, and we call on everyone?from elected officials to local residents?to join us in saluting this important industry."
Local travel employs a prosperous and diverse workforce, from airline and hotel employees, to restaurant, attraction and retail workers, and supports industry sectors such as construction, manufacturing and finance. Over the last year, visitors spent over $800 million in the Quad Cities and generated over $12 million in local tax receipts.
The national figures are equally remarkable:
· $2.1 trillion in economic output and $927.9 billion in direct travel-?related spending in the U.S. by domestic and international travelers in 2014.
· $141.5 billion generated in federal, state and local tax revenues in 2014.
· 15 million American jobs supported?8 million direct tourism jobs and 7 million indirect and induced jobs?good jobs with good pay that cannot be outsourced.
In the Quad Cities in 2014-2015, over 400 hotel rooms were added from four new hotels openings: Holiday Inn Express & Suites and Holiday Inn & Suites in Davenport, Hilton Garden Inn in Bettendorf, and Holiday Inn Express in Moline.
Another new initiative from the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau (QCCVB) is Quad Cities Museum Week on June 13-21 with 21 local museums involved offering events and activities. Find the details at www.qcmuseumweek.com
Also the opening of the Quad-City Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday in its new permanent location at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport. This is a collaborative effort between the Quad-City Times, Quad City Sports Commission, and Quad Cities River Bandits.
Travel can also have a positive effect on personal well-being. A recent study by the U.S. Travel Association found that Americans left 429 million vacation days unused (the most in nearly 40 years) and forfeited $52.4 billion in time-off benefits. If workers took just one more day off each year, travel would generate $73 billion annually for the economy.
The Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau staff has put together a new video for National Travel and Tourism Week highlighting a few of the fun places to go in the Quad Cities.
Video Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?
"Travel contributes to the fabric of America and continues to do wonders for our businesses and personal lives," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, the umbrella organization representing the travel industry in the U.S. "This weeklong celebration should extend to every day of the week to strengthen further our dynamic industry."
The QCCVB is the official tourism destination marketing and management organization for the Quad Cities region. The organization serves the tourism interests of Scott County in Iowa and Rock Island, Mercer, Warren and Henderson Counties in Illinois. The QCCVB increases visitor expenditures and overnight stays through strategic sales, marketing, and services to customers, members and communities. www.visitquadcities.com
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