PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 5, 2023

CVB Contact: Alana Cooper
Phone: 318.387.5691
E-mail: acooper@monroe-westmonroe.org

Discover Monroe-West Monroe Moves Travel Forward This National Travel and Tourism Week

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the annual industry celebration

Monroe-West Monroe, LA — May 7th through May 13th marks National Travel and Tourism Week, (NTTW) the annual celebration of the contributions of the U.S. travel industry. This week will spotlight the essential role that travel will play in driving economic growth and innovation through the theme #TravelForward.

“The travel industry fuels every industry—our industry’s success is the nation’s success,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman. “This week is a prime opportunity to elevate the message that travel is essential to moving America’s economy forward.”

Established in 1983, NTTW is an annual tradition to mark the U.S. travel industry’s role in stimulating economic growth, cultivating vibrant communities, creating quality job opportunities, stimulating business activity and elevating the quality of life for everyday Americans.

Travel serves as a catalyst for a productive U.S. economy and helps power the success of other industries. The U.S. travel industry generated a $2.6 trillion economic output in 2022 and supported 15 million jobs, fueling communities, small businesses and working families across the country.

Travel spending also generated nearly $160 billion in federal, state and local taxes in 2022—revenue that helped fund critical public services while saving each U.S. household an average of $1,270 in taxes.

In 2021, Ouachita Parish saw over $198 million in visitor spending and the tourism industry accounted for 2,670 jobs.

“National Travel and Tourism Week is a time for us to remind our local community about the strong impact of tourism in Ouachita Parish. This week serves as a great way to showcase the impact of the tourism industry in Ouachita parish, and we are excited to keep moving travel forward in our community,” said Alana Cooper, Discover Monroe-West Monroe President/CEO.

Please visit ustravel.org/NTTW to learn more about National Travel and Tourism Week or by calling Discover Monroe-West Monroe 318-387-5691.

###

Discover Monroe-West Monroe promotes Ouachita Parish as a destination for leisure travel, conventions, meetings, and sporting events creating a positive economic impact for our local community through increased visitor spending and sales tax collections. For more information about Discover Monroe-West Monroe, visit www.monroe-westmonroe.org.