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[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 309 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 309

Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the need for a $500 million 
    recovery fund focusing exclusively on travel and tourism to be 
 administered by the Gulf Coast Claims Facility in the wake of the BP 
                               oil spill.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 29, 2010

   Mr. Rush submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the need for a $500 million 
    recovery fund focusing exclusively on travel and tourism to be 
 administered by the Gulf Coast Claims Facility in the wake of the BP 
                               oil spill.

Whereas the travel industry in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida 
        generates $94 billion in revenue and accounts for over 1 million jobs, 
        all of which is in jeopardy due to the BP oil spill;
Whereas the BP oil spill has threatened the natural resources of the Gulf 
        States, damaged beaches and shorelines, and caused significant declines 
        in travel and tourism throughout the region, and leading travel 
        indicators point to sharp declines in traveler levels, independent of 
        where oil has washed ashore;
Whereas travel is a perception-based business and exaggerated or sensationalized 
        media coverage of the oil spill unnecessarily drives travelers 
        elsewhere, exacerbating the harm done to local business and employees;
Whereas also contributing to traveler declines in the Gulf are consumer 
        uncertainties about where oil has washed ashore and where it will come 
        ashore in the future;
Whereas when a region experiences prolonged declines in travel resulting from 
        consumer misperceptions, economic hardship and job loss can ripple 
        throughout a local economy;
Whereas a study by Oxford Economics found that the potential impact of the oil 
        spill in the Gulf of Mexico could adversely affect tourism arrivals in 
        coastal communities for up to 3 years at a cost of $22.7 billion dollars 
        in lost revenue;
Whereas it is not too late to mitigate these economic losses by taking an active 
        role in providing credible and accurate information to the traveling 
        public;
Whereas the simplest and most effective way to accomplish this is to direct BP 
        to invest $500 million over the next 3 years in comprehensive 
        information-based marketing campaigns designed to bring travelers back 
        to the Gulf Coast;
Whereas a study by Oxford Economics also found that a $500 million information-
        based marketing campaign could yield $7.5 billion in traveler spending 
        in the Gulf Coast region and significantly increase traveler levels, 
        thereby helping local economies recover from the impacts of the oil 
        spill;
Whereas the Gulf Coast Claims Facility and the $20 billion dollar escrow account 
        have been established only to pay for damages that have already 
        occurred, rather than also to prevent further economic damages from 
        happening, leaving the travel industry in a frustrating predicament and 
        with a grim outlook;
Whereas BP recently denied the State of Florida its request for another 
        marketing grant and instead informed the Governor's office that 
        individual counties and cities should submit claims directly to BP;
Whereas, to date, the type of documentation needed to file a marketing claim or 
        the criteria that will be used to evaluate these claims has not been 
        presented by BP to any potential claimants; and
Whereas it is important to avoid potential uncertainties and inequities in the 
        distribution of tourism marketing dollars to recipients on the Gulf 
        Coast: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) a $500 million dollar recovery fund focusing 
        exclusively on travel and tourism should be funded by BP and 
        administered by the Gulf Coast Claims Facility;
            (2) the funds should be administered through an open and 
        transparent process with a defined set of criteria for award; 
        and
            (3) county or parish and State tourism boards and visitors 
        bureaus in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida should 
        all be eligible for funding based on a demonstration of a 
        decline in travelers since the beginning of the BP oil spill.
                                 <all>
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