Bordallo Presses Federal Official for Tourism Promotion Support
$50 Million National Campaign to Benefit Guam

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – October 29, 2003 – Washington, D.C. –  Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo joined her colleagues in the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus today at a meeting with Mr. Douglas Baker, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Service Industries, Tourism, and Finance, to discuss a $50 million dollar campaign to promote U.S. tourism in Japan, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, and Germany.  In today’s meeting, Mr. Baker emphasized that while the focus of this campaign will be national, a portion of the money will be reserved for regional efforts, some of which could be directed towards Guam and the Northern Marianas.  Bordallo met with Mr. Baker to discuss what this effort may mean for Guam in August, after sending him a letter early last spring requesting that Guam not be overlooked. 

“Right now, the U.S. Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board is suggesting that eighty-percent of the $50 million be used for a National Tourism Promotion Campaign, to benefit Guam along with the rest of the United States.  Twenty-percent will be directed towards regional tourism efforts in the form of one-to-one matching grants.  I made a strong case to Mr. Baker and my colleagues in the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus that tourism in the Pacific region has been disproportionately affected by 9-11 and SARS and is badly in need of this assistance,” said Bordallo.  “To be eligible for this one-time federal tourism promotion program, it is important that we partner with the Northern Mariana Islands and develop a regional approach to marketing our tourism product.”

The Advisory Board has proposed that the campaign be kicked-off in March 2004, with the awarding of regional grants in the amounts of $250,000, $500,000, and $1 million to follow.  Guam’s case received support from other Members as well, with Congressman Sam Farr (D-CA), Co-Chairman of the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, indicating that as a gateway destination between Asia and the United States, Guam should receive greater marketing attention.

More information about the Advisory Board and the National Tourism Promotion Campaign can be found at http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/about/us_promo_campaign/index.html.

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Contact: Neil Weare in Washington, D.C., at (202) 225-1188 or Joaquin Perez in Guam at (671) 477-4272.