U.S. Travel Launches Travel Blitz Campaign

U.S. Travel (USTA), the Washington, D.C.-based national organization that represents the interests of travel industry professionals, today announced its Travel Blitz campaign. The initiative seeks to facilitate long-term relationships between travel industry professionals and members of Congress and their staff. USTA encourages industry professionals to engage their representatives on key issues facing the industry, such as visa reform, customs and entry, the importance of government meetings, and transportation and infrastructure. 

USTA describes the new campaign as a grassroots effort. At a press conference held today, Candice Knezevic, director of grassroots and industry relations for USTA, said that the campaign is about "engaging and enabling our members in the travel community to go out and recruit advocates in Congress. We know that face-to-face meetings are the best way to get business done, and we're providing the tools for people in our industry to have face-to-face meetings with their representatives."

The Travel Blitz tool kit, designed to function as a "playbook" for travel industry professionals, includes guides to hosting members of Congress as well as "talking points" to facilitate discussion. The tool kit is available on the USTA's website.

Kelly Schulz, vice president of communications and public relations for the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau (NOCVB), spoke at the conference about the efforts her city is making to recruit champions in Congress. On Jan. 16, 2013, the NOCVB hosted a luncheon roundtable with Senator David Vitter (R-LA) of Louisiana. Topics broached included aviation security, budget cuts at the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), visa waivers, and improving Transportation Security Administration (TSA) standards and pre-check security.