IV 

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; 


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•HCON 309 IH 

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; 


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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 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that— 

3 (1) a $500 million dollar recovery fund focusing 

4 exclusively on travel and tourism should be funded 

5 by BP and administered by the Gulf Coast Claims 

6 Facility; 

7 (2) the funds should be administered through 

8 an open and transparent process with a defined set 

9 of criteria for award; and 

10 (3) county or parish and State tourism boards 

11 and visitors bureaus in Louisiana, Mississippi, AlaVerDate Mar 15 2010 20:58 Jul 30, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HC309.IH HC309

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•HCON 309 IH 

1 bama, and Florida should all be eligible for funding 

2 based on a demonstration of a decline in travelers 

3 since the beginning of the BP oil spill. 

Æ 


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