<div style="margin-top: 20px;"><img src="https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/citylogo-cvb.png" alt="City of Columbia Missouri Convention & Visitors Bureau" width="175" height="118" style="margin-right: 5px;">
<img src="https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/spaceholder.png" alt="" role="presentation" width="106" height="116" style="float: right; margin-right: 0px; margin-left:20px;">
<div style="padding-top:40px;
text-align:center;">
<p style="font-weight:bold; display: inline; line-height:150%; font-size: 115%;"> 300 S PROVIDENCE RD <br />COLUMBIA, MO 65203</p></div>
</div>
<div style="clear:both; text-align:center; padding-top: 20px;">
<p style="font-size: 150%; font-weight: bold;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</p>
<p style="font-size: 120%; margin-top: -5px; font-weight:bold;">May 2, 2022</p>
<p style="float:right; font-weight:bold; margin-bottom: 25px; font-size: 100%; text-align:right;">CONTACT: Megan McConachie
<br />Strategic Communications Manager
<br />Convention and Visitors Bureau
<br />City of Columbia
<br />573.441.5572
<br />Megan.McConachie@CoMo.gov</p>
</div>
<div style="font-size: 110%; line-height:150%;"><h1 style="clear:both; margin-top: 75px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 130%;">National Travel and Tourism Week 2022: Columbia Celebrates the 'Future of Travel'</h1>
<div class="content"><span style="padding-left: 50px;">(COLUMBIA, MO)</span> - <p style="display: inline;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Columbia, MO - May 2, 2022 - National Travel and Tourism Week (NTTW), the annual celebration of the contributions of the U.S. travel industry, takes place May 1-7 and will spotlight the critical role that travel will play in driving economic growth and building the path forward through the theme Future of Travel. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This year's theme elevates how the travel industry can restore the workforce, help communities recover, foster sustainability, usher in new innovations and reconnect travelers in the U.S. and around the world. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Celebrated annually the first full week in May, NTTW was created by Congress in 1983 to elevate the economic power of travel in the U.S. The 39th annual NTTW (May 1-7) arrives as the industry looks ahead to future growth and success following the challenges of the past two years.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"After two tremendously difficult years, the travel and tourism industry is still recovering," said Amy Schneider, director of the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB). "This week, the CVB is celebrating what travel means to our community, and we are looking forward to continued recovery and a thriving local tourism industry well into the future." </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All over Columbia, travel employs a prosperous and diverse workforce, from airline and hotel employees to restaurant, attraction and retail workers, and supports related sectors such as construction, manufacturing and finance. Some of the numbers: </span></p>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Over 9,000 jobs are supported by travel and tourism in Boone County</span></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Travel and tourism generated over $393 million in local tourism-related spending for Boone County in FY2021</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"NTTW has special significance this year as the travel industry looks ahead to a bright future," said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. "This NTTW is an opportunity to recognize the collective strength of the U.S. travel industry and how we are rebuilding to be more dynamic, innovative, sustainable and inclusive in the months and years to come."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Before the pandemic, travel generated $2.6 trillion in economic output, supported 17 million American jobs and delivered a $51 billion trade surplus to the U.S.-evidence of the outsized role the industry will play in driving America's recovery and future economic growth," added Dow.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Please visit </span><a href="http://www.ustravel.org/NTTW"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ustravel.org/NTTW</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to learn more about National Travel and Tourism Week.</span></p>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">For additional information, contact Megan McConachie at 573.441.5572 or </span><a href="mailto:Megan.McConachie@CoMo.Gov"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Megan.McConachie@CoMo.Gov</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.<br /><br /><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="content"></div>
<br />
<div class="attachments">
This release has the following attachments:<br /><a href="https://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/downloadfile.php?id=2832">Logo - National Travel & Tourism Week</a></div>
</div>
<div id="footerline">
<div style="margin-top: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align:center;"><p>City of Columbia Vision<br>
<em>Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.</em></p>
<p>City of Columbia Mission<br>
<em>To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.</em></p>
</div>
<p style="text-align:center;">-30-</p>
</div>
<style>
#pressrelease{ margin:20px; margin-top: 0px;}
.attachments{margin-top: -10px;}
@media print {
body {font-size: 90%; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;}
#pressrelease{ margin: 0px; }
}
</style><p>______________________________________________________</p>
<p>You have received this message because you subscribe to the City of Columbia's Web Mail service. To view linked material click on provided links or copy and paste them into your browser's address menu.</p>
<p>______________________________________________________</p>
<p>Archived press releases can be viewed online at:
http://www.como.gov/CMS/pressreleases/directory.php</p>
<p>______________________________________________________</p>
<p>If you would like to stop receiving messages, modify list options, or subscribe to other lists visit the Web Mail section of our Web site and follow the instructions provided at http://www.como.gov/Web_Mail/ </p><style>div{margin: 10px;}</style>