Support from Nevada Organizations Grows for Rosen’s Bipartisan Tourism Package

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Numerous National, Local Travel and Tourism Organizations Have Endorsed Rosen’s Legislative Package to Revive Travel & Tourism

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, announced more endorsements of her bipartisan Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act by multiple chambers of commerce in Nevada. The legislation was endorsed by the Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce, the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, the Asian Chamber of Commerce, and the Latin Chamber of Commerce.

The Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act advanced through the Senate Commerce Committee in December with unanimous support. This legislative package was introduced by Senator Rosen and Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce Committee Roger Wicker (R-MS) with a large bipartisan group of co-sponsors, including Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV).

Tourism is one of Nevada’s key industries and employs nearly 350,000 Nevadans. Although Nevada’s economy is beginning to recover and experiencing strong growth, the state unemployment rate remains one of the highest in the nation. In the Las Vegas area, visitor volume is down 27.5% and hotel room occupancy is down 24.7% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Nationwide, unemployment in the leisure and hospitality industry, covering the bulk of tourism businesses and workers, is nearly twice the national average.

“A robust travel and tourism industry is vital to Nevada’s recovery,” said Senator Rosen. “I’m proud to have the support of these additional local chambers of commerce for my bipartisan legislation. Our package will help this key sector of Nevada’s economy bounce back and support the businesses and workers who have been hit so hard over the past two years.”

“As a key driver of Northern Nevada’s economy, many businesses depend on a strong and robust travel and tourism industry and we need to make sure this key industry continues on its path to recovery from the pandemic,” said Ann Silver, CEO of the Reno Sparks Chamber of Commerce. “We fully support Senator Rosen’s bipartisan Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act because it will help strengthen the Northern Nevada travel and tourism industry, save good-paying jobs, and bolster Nevada’s economy.”

“The Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative recently found that Latino businesses employ more than 3 million people in the United States and contribute roughly $500 billion to the U.S. economy in annual sales. These businesses, especially in Nevada, not only support but also rely on the travel and tourism industry and have faced massive disruptions throughout the pandemic,” said Peter Guzman, President and CEO of the Latin Chamber of Commerce. “The Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act of 2021 will help to revive the tourism industry and help our Latino-owned businesses recover and ultimately thrive.”

“We want to thank [Senator Rosen] for leading the Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act of 2021 and offer our full support for this bill. We believe it’s important to be a conduit of opportunities for not only Asian Pacific Americans with established businesses but also for those with newer businesses or those who are still in the early entrepreneurial stages,” said Robert Young, Chairman of the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce. “This will bring more voices, and therefore more diverse ideas to the table and will allow for all businesses to have access to relevant, up to date information and innovative resources no matter what stage of development they’re in. The Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act of 2021 will strengthen our industry and allow for it to prosper once again.”

“Our community relies heavily on the success of our travel and tourism industry – from our large gaming properties to the countless local small businesses who provide products and services larger companies need to succeed,” said Amber Stidham, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Henderson Chamber of Commerce. “In fact, our small businesses who operate within this industry continue to struggle through this COVID-19 pandemic – from our local artisan food producers, event staffing services, small venue operators/hotels/taverns, to convention display manufacturers. These chamber businesses, and more, stand to gain the support they need to continue serving their communities and those that come to visit our great state.”

In January, Senator Rosen announced the Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act had been endorsed by more than a dozen Nevada-based and national groups including: Nevada Resort Association, Vegas Chamber, Reno-Sparks Convention & Visitors Authority (RSCVA), Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), Get Outdoors Nevada, Nevada Outdoor Business Coalition, American Gaming Association (AGA), American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), US Tour Operators Association (USTOA), National Tour Association (NTA), US Travel Association, Outdoor Industry Association.