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Whenever one thinks of travel and tourism, pleasant images of relaxing on the beach, strolling through colorful neighborhoods, or hiking through a landscape of awe-inspiring natural beauty may come to mind.

Not too many people associate travel and tourism with business and commerce. Yet, the economic, social and cultural benefits tourism brings to the local community, to the nation, and to the world at large are of a magnitude one might find hard to imagine.

Just how big is this contribution?

Travel and tourism--encompassing transportation, catering, accommodations, recreation and services for travelers--is actually the world's largest industry and generator of jobs.

It is the nation’s third largest retail sales industry and one of America’s largest employers. It is in fact the first, second or third largest employer in 28 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, creating 7.8 million jobs nationally. The travel and tourism industry that has developed to service the traveler contributes enormously to the U.S. economy. In 1999, direct travel spending in the United States by domestic and international travelers reached nearly $519 billion dollars, 5.6 percent of the nation's gross domestic product.

For San Diego, the economic impact of travel and tourism is just as dramatic. In 2000, 15.2 million overnight visitors poured $5.2 billion into the local economy, making the visitor industry San Diego's third-largest, following manufacturing and the military.

Tourism continues to grow at a steady rate nationally, despite a few stormy clouds on an otherwise stable economic horizon. Locally, the visitor industry is poised for a continued strong year throughout 2001.

There are several reasons for this, a major one being San Diego's strong reputation nationally as a vacation destination that delivers a good value for the money. In this current economic atmosphere, people...