NCSTD PLEDGES HALF-MILLION DOLLARS TO DISCOVER AMERICA PARTNERSHIP
The recent Annual Spring Forum of TIA's National Council of State Tourism Directors (NCSTD) was held in Washington, DC. Tourism directors from 30 states and the District of Columbia heard details of the recently unveiled "A Blueprint to Discover America," a three-point plan to strengthen America's security and fix the nation's travel crisis. Citing the importance of this initiative to the U.S. travel industry at all levels, the directors pledged to raise a minimum of a half-a-million dollars through NCSTD to achieve the critical goals outlined in the blueprint.

TIA and Travel Business Roundtable (TBR) continue to work closely with key members of Congress and Canadian officials to guarantee both security and ease of entry on the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. Three Canadian Premiers, the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S., Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY) and various travel and trade interests attended a series of events at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce co-hosted by TIA, TBR and other organizations. Governor Tom Ridge, former Secretary of Homeland Security and special advisor to the Discover America Partnership, moderated a panel discussion and Q&A session.

TIA encourages all members to participate in this year’s Tourism Cares for America project. The restoration project will be held in historic Virginia City, Nevada, the nation’s largest Historic Landmark, from Thursday, May 17 through Saturday, May 19. Hundreds of travel industry professionals will work side-by-side to restore this historic and legendary Old West mining town in the hills just outside Reno. More than 300 volunteers, many of them members of TIA, have gathered each year at events beginning with Ellis Island in 2003 and continuing with New Orleans in 2004, Mount Vernon in 2005 and the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2006. Many proudly display their Tourism Cares for America certificates from all four projects! To find out more about the Tourism Cares for Virginia City Restoration Project, please click here. To register, click here. If you have any questions, please contact Tourism Cares at 781-821-5990 or at tcfa@tourismcares.org.

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