National Travel and Tourism Week is May 19-25. Started by the U.S. Travel Association in 1983, the week celebrates the roles travel plays in the economy, job creation, fostering peace and personal enrichment.
Travel and tourism is a $2.6 trillion industry that supports nearly 15 million American jobs while fueling other important support industries. It also has a strong impact on the local economy.
Preliminary 2023 data show that in Yakima County, visitors generated $397 million in spending, supported 5,142 jobs for local residents and generated nearly $51 million in state and local taxes. Tourism-generated taxes support essential services we all enjoy and need, including public safety, roads, parks and education while saving each household in Yakima County $455 in taxes.
Tourism enables success for all industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, health care and more, by driving sales growth, innovation, education and operations that power our economy.
When meetings, conventions and sports tournaments are held in communities like Yakima, the attendees contribute to the local economies with their spending, plus they see firsthand other destinations in the area. From such opportunities, people may consider the places they visit for potential new business ventures and relocation.
Small businesses account for more than 60% of leisure and hospitality sector employment. Most tourism enterprises are locally based and owned. They are part of the very fabric of each community, including ours. Visitors love to experience the authenticity and uniqueness of the places they visit, which in turn financially help sustain local facilities, traditions, cultures and events.
Tourism businesses rely on a variety of support industries to succeed, which indirectly benefit from visitor spending. Examples include laundry operators that clean hotel linens, farmers who provide produce for restaurants, carpenters who do repairs at retail shops, mechanics who repair motor homes … and the list goes on.
Beyond creating economic benefits, thoughtful travel can help shape a better world. When people travel, they discover new places and cultures, which can lead to greater understanding of other views. Quite simply, travel has the potential to be a social force for positive change.
Probably the greatest value of travel is what it can do for the individual. Travel opens doors to new experiences that can enrich and rejuvenate a person. When we go beyond our daily routines, we test our skills and responses that can arise when traveling. Stepping into the unknown can foster growth and resilience, even if it’s as simple as figuring out a train schedule or calculating the exchange rate.
Likewise, planning a trip can be as exciting as taking the journey. And for those going through tough times, loss or sorrow, getting away can offer solace and perspective, helping to move forward and gain resilience.
Ultimately, travel can be a transformative, lifelong journey enriching travelers with memories, knowledge and a deeper appreciation for the world.
In celebration of National Travel and Tourism Week, as I encourage you to take a trip and explore, I leave you with this quote by celebrity chef and author Anthony Bourdain: “Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you.”
