WASHINGTON -- The
presidential debates so far have addressed topics ranging from the
ongoing war in Iraq to health care. But, if the Travel Industry
Association has its way, the next one will include issues important
to travelers.
TIA officials were
on their way Tuesday to Myrtle Beach, S.C., where the candidates
for the Republican presidential nomination are slated to debate
Thursday live on Fox News Channel.
The TIA said it
intends to meet with local media, as well as Fox News
representatives, in an effort to insert questions important to
travelers into the presidential debate.
The TIA has also
bought space to put up a billboard proclaiming "South Carolina
Wants a President Who Will Stand
Up for Travel" near where the debate will be held Jan.
19.
"I have learned
more than once," Dow told TravelWeekly.com, "that if you are at the
site where the action is, you'll get [the media to ask] 'what's
your issue?' "
TIA also sent the
candidates and the media the results of a recent survey it
commissioned that indicated travel-related issues resonate with
voters in South Carolina and Florida, which will be holding its
presidential primary in a few weeks.
The survey,
released in November, found nine out of 10 presidential primary
voters recognized travel and tourism as important to their states'
economy, while eight out of 10 said travel was important in both
their lives and the lives of their families.
At the same time,
however, security measures at airports and U.S. borders have
hindered, and in some instances dissuaded, Americans from traveling
and international visitors from vacationing in the U.S.
The survey results
also indicated that presidential candidates could gain votes by
addressing travel issues.
"I think we are
going to hit a tipping point," Dow said, "where people are going to
scream 'enough!' "
With billions of
dollars in revenue and the economy at stake, Dow believes travel
issues have a place in the discourse in the debate between
Democratic and Republican presidential candidates.
"But I think we
have to lead that horse to water," he said. "That is what we are
doing. We are paving the way. And we are going to bang away at
every possible way."
To
contact reporter Michael Milligan, send e-mail to [email protected].