Q & A
What can America learn
from Florida about tourism

Professor Robert Brymer of the department of hospitality administration in the FSU College
of Business was the only university professor in Florida nvited to the first White House Conference on Tourism, held last fall to address a decline in tourism - the second-largest employer in the United States after health care. Brymer reported to Florida State Times writer Browning Brooks.

Florida State Times: What was the goal of the White House Conference on Travel & Tourism?
Brymer: President Bill Clinton wanted to bring together the many facets of the travel and tourism industry to develop a unified national strategy to better market the United States as a tourist destination.
FST: How far behind the rest of the world is the United States?
Brymer: We're ranked third in the percentage of world travelers, dropping from second last year. Now, France is first and Spain is second. We've had a four-year decline in share of the international tourism market, from 18 percent to 15 percent.
We spend $16 million to promote tourism, which puts us 33rd in the world, behind countries like Malaysia and Tunisia. Canada spends $100 million, Greece $143 million and Spain $123 million. Despite shrinking public funds, we have to find a better way to promote the U.S. to travelers because our declining share of tourists has a direct impact on our economy.
FST: What exactly are the benefits of tourism to our economy?
Brymer: In 1995, travelers in the United States spent a staggering $535 billion. Tourism supports 14 million jobs ... It provides $493 billion in wages, generates $127 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue, and produces an industry trade surplus of $22 billion. You can think of it this way: Every household in the U.S. pays $652 less in taxes every year because of travel and tourism.
FST: How far along are industry and government in carrying out some of the proposals that came out of the conference?
Brymer: A great deal of progress has been made in a few short months. We now have a strategy, and the goals, objectives and recommendations have been written and presented to President Clinton and the Congress. The first is the creation of a public/private partnership. The National Tourism Organization would be funded by Congress, chartered by the federal government and managed by the private sector. It would be the engine that drives the efforts of the industry, Congress, federal, state and local travel and tourism agencies. Federal funding will be an uphill battle, but I'm optimistic. It is definitely worth the investment and will pay excellent dividends.
FST: How much are the murders of foreign tourists in Florida hurting the state's - and the nation's - progress? What can we do?
Brymer: Certainly, this is not the only factor affecting the number of travelers, but it's one we must address. Some Florida cities are giving tourists crime-prevention information at airports, rental car agencies, hotels and other key locations.
Specific recommendations from the White House Conference include: adopting standards of excellence identifying the best practices for educating visitors on how to travel safely; developing a nationwide, toll-free, multilingual visitor information service, including emergency assistance; and forming a national Traveler Safety Team through the International Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus.
FST: Does FSU have any part to play in the new national strategy?
Brymer: Absolutely. Our Department of Hospitality Administration has prepared students for careers in the travel and tourism industry for almost 50 years. As the third oldest program in the country and one of the most respected, we were one of the few universities to have a representative at this historic conference. Work on a national tourism strategy has just begun and we were there on the ground floor.
Our faculty members serve the industry in a multitude of ways and our alumni provide leadership in virtually every segment of the travel industry, so we'll continue to play an active role. Under the leadership of President Sandy D'Alemberte, Dean Melvin Stith and Chairman Joe West, in the development of our new facilities, we will be positioned to serve our students and the industry even better.
FST: How do you think U.S. tourism will fare this summer season?
Brymer: This should be a banner year, particularly with the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta. Barring any major unforeseen negative events, this will be an excellent opportunity to showcase our country in a very positive light. We have so much to offer in the United States, culturally, socially, and in natural beauty, but we can't take travel and tourism for granted anymore. There are too many other countries in the world competing for the traveler's dollar. If the public and private sectors work together, we can reverse recent trends and build this industry and our nation with more jobs, wages and tax revenues that will strengthen our economy.