National Travel and Tourism Week
May 4 - May 12, 2013
Nationwide
The Annual Salute to Travel and Tourism in America
The first full week of May is annually recognized as National Travel and Tourism Week, a tradition first celebrated in 1984. Localized events are presented in cities, states and travel businesses nationwide to champion the power of travel. It was established as National Tourism Week when the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution in 1983 designating the week to be celebrated in May. In a White House ceremony, President Ronald Reagan signed a Presidential Proclamation urging citizens to observe the week with "the appropriate ceremonies and activities."
Since its establishment, the U.S. travel community has collectively marked the event in a number of creative ways, from staging local rallies and conducting media outreach to securing proclamations and resolutions from local legislative bodies.
Congress established National Tourism Week in 1983 to increase awareness of the travel and tourism industry's economic, social, and cultural contributions. In a White House ceremony, President Ronald Reagan signed a Presidential Proclamation urging citizens to observe the week with "the appropriate ceremonies and activities." Industry leaders and public relations professionals from the major travel and tourism trade associations were the first volunteers to manage the annual event. By January 1986 industry leaders had formed a permanent full-time office at the U.S. Travel Association to sponsor the event and expand tourism awareness into year-round programs.
While the public often knows about tourism's direct impact on businesses like attractions, hotels and restaurants, less well-known is the indirect economic impact of tourism on the businesses that keep attractions, hotels and restaurants running. Businesses such as:
- Hardware stores
- Carpet and window distributors and manufacturers
- Plumbing and construction companies.
When visitors come to North Carolina, businesses and citizens win.
National Travel and Tourism Week will be held May 4-12.
This year's theme is Travel Effect, U.S. Travel's new advocacy and awareness campaign.
Resources for planning and staging local activities are available in the NTTW toolkit, including
Rally Day is scheduled for Tuesday, May 7, 2013.
Email us to add your community's events and activities to the Rally Map.
NC Welcome Center Activities
The nine North Carolina Welcome Centers will have a variety of events and activities scheduled throughout the state for National Travel & Tourism Week. For more information about specific activities taking place at each Welcome Center, please refer to this PDF: NC Welcome Centers - National Tourism Week 2013