By Linda Tancs

This week is National Tourism Week.  Sponsored by the Travel Industry Association, the event is intended to promote travel to and within the U.S.  Some communities use National Tourism Week as a kick-off for a series of events highlighting local points of interest such as historic homes and revolutionary-war era battlegrounds.

 With the dollar at an all-time low against many major currencies, it might not be too difficult these days to promote travel within the U.S.  More problematic is the promotion of travel to the U.S.  In fact, a recent poll of Chinese citizens indicated that a desire to travel to the U.S. (if money were no object, no less) drew very low results.  And among Europeans, Australia is apparently the top tourist destination.  To be sure, after 9/11, overseas travel to the U.S. dropped.  Are tightened airport security regulations to blame?  What is the perception of an overseas tourist towards the U.S. these days?  According to the Department of Commerce, international visitation did rebound somewhat in January 2007.   Will this trend continue?  Let’s hope so, considering that travel and tourism can account for over $1 trillion in economic activity in the U.S. each year.