By Amy Widner of the Pine Bluff Commercial staff

Thursday, June 3, 2010… U.S. Rep. Mike Ross was in Pine Bluff on Wednesday promoting a tourism bill he co-sponsored - a bill he said will create jobs and reduce the national debt, all without costing the taxpayer.

The Travel Promotion Act was signed into law March 4. It is the nation’s first national travel promotion and communications program, Ross said. Its goal is to encourage foreign travelers to vacation in the United States.

Ross said tourism is a big-time industry that has trickle-down benefits for all, including Arkansas and Pine Bluff. But since the 911 terrorist attacks, foreign travel to the United States has been on the decline.

“We’re missing out on a huge opportunity to bring more tourists to America, boosting our economy and tax revenues,” Ross said. “Tourism is a business and every business needs to advertise in order to boost revenue. We need to showcase to the world the beauty of places like Pine Bluff and Arkansas and invite visitors to spend their money there.”

The law establishes a nonprofit, public-private entity to oversee implementation of the law. The Corporation for Travel Promotion, as it is called, will be made up of an 11-member board overseen by the U.S. Commerce Department.

The board members, representatives from different parts of the travel industry, will guide the promotion campaign. Ross said the board will ultimately decide how the United States should be promoted abroad, but cited U.S. television commercials that encourage viewers to visit specific states as an example of the kinds of things the board could consider.

Funding for the program will come in part from the private sector travel industry. The government’s contribution will come from $10 fees levied on certain foreign travelers, Ross said.

“There will be absolutely no cost to taxpayers - not one cent,” Ross said. “This is a prime example of how we can increase our revenue and bring down our deficits.”

Ross cited statistics that found that a successful national tourism promotion campaign would bring in $4 billion in new spending annually, create 40,000 new jobs and generate $321 million in new tax revenue each year. The Congressional Budget Office reported that the act would reduce the federal deficit by $425 million over 10 years, Ross said.

Ross said the national campaign would also benefit Arkansas and Pine Bluff. In Arkansas, more than 60,000 people are employed in tourism, he said. In 2009, about 23 million visitors came to Arkansas, spent about $5.4 billion and generated about $280 million in state tax revenue and about $102 million in local taxes…

While introducing Ross - Joy Blankenship, executive director of Pine Bluff Downtown Development - welcomed the national help in an industry where a rising tide lifts all boats.

“We’re learning we need to be bigger and better to attract visitors to our state and region, and we know that we need to work together, “ Blankenship said.