Title
Travel & Tourism Week Proclamation (May 5-11, 2019).
Body
Summary:
The National Travel and Tourism Week and the Texas Travel & Tourism Week are scheduled for May 5-11, 2019.
What is the economic impact of tourism in Texas?
Travel earnings in Texas totaled $56 billion in 2017. More than half of direct travel spending at Texas destinations comes from out-of-state domestic and international markets.
Travel spending in Texas directly supported 1.1 million Texas jobs in 2017, including approximately 650,000 in the travel industry and approximately 450,000 in related industries. Some examples include leisure and hospitality, transportation, retail trade, services, finance, real estate, construction, insurance, and others.
What are top international markets for Texas?
International travel to Texas has been growing among both established and emerging markets around the world. Top origin markets for Texas include Mexico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Japan and China. According to the UN World Tourism Organization, international travel increased seven percent in 2017, the largest jump since 2010. International travel also represents 10 percent of the global GDP.
How did the Houston area hotel industry perform in 2018, and how are we responding?
The Houston area saw a significant increase in hotel activity in 2017 following Hurricane Harvey. According to a report compiled by HVS Global Hospitality Services, the Houston hotel market is going through a correction following that spike and is expected to level out over the next few fiscal years.
The City’s PR/Marketing Administrator, Kristin Callahan, is responsible for placing tourism-related advertisements in local, regional, statewide and national publications, focusing on major metropolitan areas in Texas to draw more business travel. The 2018-19 and 2019-20 fiscal years will include additional efforts to target industry/business hotel stays, in addition to leisure business. As well, the City maintains a membership with Visit Houston and Beyond, a branch of the Houston First Corporation specifically designed to encourage travel in municipalities surrounding the greater Houston area. Recently, with the support of the Tourism Committee, Callahan renewed the City’s membership for its third year. Growth in the program allowed Deer Park to participate in its first out-of-state trade show, shedding light on national as well as state-to-state travel trends.
What is the economic impact on travel in Deer Park and Harris County?
Travel in Deer Park, Texas provides significant economic benefits, employing 570 people and generating $65 million in visitor spending during 2017, up from $63 million in 2016. Harris County received $15.02 billion in total direct travel spending in 2017. An estimated 22.3 million visitors came to the Houston area in 2018, spending $9.8 billion in direct travel.
Fiscal/Budgetary Impact:
$661,435 in Hotel Occupancy Taxes (HOT) was collected in Deer Park in FY 2017-2018. Additionally, the hotel industry in Deer Park contributes sales tax and property tax revenue and provides jobs.
Recommended action
Proclaim May 5-11, 2019 as Travel and Tourism Week in Deer Park, Texas.