U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade, and Export Promotion, visited Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas this week to discuss how the federal government can support Nevada’s travel and tourism industry, including her bipartisan Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act, which will aid the industry’s recovery in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Senator Rosen also announced the endorsement of more than a dozen key Nevada-based and national organizations for her bipartisan legislative package.
The Nevada Independent: Nevada Resort Association, other business groups back passage of Rosen tourism bill
Key Points:
- A baker’s dozen of Nevada-based and national travel-industry groups are endorsing Sen. Jacky Rosen’s (D-NV) bill to help revitalize the travel and tourism sector as it seeks to recover from more than a year of crippling restrictions designed to stem the spread of COVID-19.
- The bill, which would also create a new position at the Department of Commerce dedicated to tourism, was introduced last month by four Democrats and four Republicans led by Rosen and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS). Wicker is the ranking member of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Rosen is chair of the panel’s tourism Subcommittee. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) is also a cosponsor.
- The bill would direct the Commerce Department to study how the pandemic affected the industry and recommend policy changes. It would also create a joint task force between the Department of Transportation and the Department of Homeland Security to create requirements and guidelines related to health, safety, security and logistical issues for air travel during the pandemic.
- The measure would also direct the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to conduct a feasibility study on using canines to screen airport travelers for COVID-19, and establish a pilot program to make baggage screening more efficient for passengers.
- The legislation aims to help Nevada and other states and regions with tourism-reliant economies. The industry accounts for about 350,000 jobs in the Silver State. Nevada has been recovering from the pandemic’s economic blow, which resulted in the highest unemployment rate ever recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 30 percent in April 2020.
Las Vegas Sun: Rosen touts tourism bill during visit to Allegiant Stadium
Key Points:
- Today, U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., stood on the field during a news conference to sell the Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act of 2021, a bill she co-sponsored last year as chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee on Tourism, Trade and Export Promotion.
- “We have to continue to strengthen Nevada’s tourism industry,” Rosen said. “We know that tourism is a driving force of Nevada’s economy and, over the course of the past two years, it’s been hit hard by the pandemic. Too many Nevadans who have built careers in tourism and travel are still out of work.”
- “It’s my mission to make sure we overcome this pandemic,” Rosen said. “We’ve already secured $44 million that will expand, upgrade and modernize Harry Reid International Airport so we can more easily bring visitors here from across the country and around the world.”
- Funding for the airport is coming through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- Rosen said she would like to see better coordination of the country’s “national travel and tourism strategy across federal agencies.”
KLAS – Las Vegas: Senator Rosen talks tourism industry plans for Nevada
Key Points:
- The headliner this Tuesday was Senator Jacky Rosen. The Nevada Democrat is the Chair of a Senate subcommittee overseeing tourism policy. She has a bipartisan tourism bill, the Omnibus Travel, and Tourism Act, that’s nearing a vote in the US Senate that would support the recovery of the tourism industry.
- “It’s a package of bills that really are administrative in nature, to help us get through covid, set up the infrastructure that we need going forward to thrive,” the Senator told me.
KTNV – Las Vegas: Rosen talks tourism economy at Allegiant Stadium
Reporter: Senator Rosen’s message about southern Nevada is simple.
Senator Rosen: We’re here. We’re open for business. We’ve seen tourism and travel coming back to the Las Vegas Strip. We’re seeing conventions book again, and I’m going to do everything that I can to be sure that we promote it all across the nation.
Reporter: Rosen’s Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act has already advanced with unanimous support throughout the Commerce Committee last month. It’s now headed to the Senate floor.
KRNV – Reno: Rosen talks tourism economy at Allegiant Stadium
Reporter: More recovery is still needed though. Nevada’s unemployment rate is one of the highest in the country. Senator Jacky Rosen wants to bolster the tourism industry because of that. It’s a big part of the economy, obviously, employing nearly 350,000 Nevadans. Nationwide unemployment in leisure and hospitality is still twice the national average.
Univision – Las Vegas: Rosen habla de la economía del turismo en el Allegiant Stadium
Jacky Rosen: “Estoy segura que estamos en la dirección correcta y mi mision sera asegurarme que Nevada tenga los fondos y el apoyo que necesitamos para regresar de esta pandemia y sentirnos orgullosos.”
Reportero: “Y es que la Senadora busca dar luz verde a la ley ómnibus de viajes y turismo, un proyecto de ley que apoyaria a la recuperación de la economía de viajes y turismo a raíz de la pandemia del COVID-19.”
KLAS – Las Vegas: Rosen talks tourism economy at Allegiant Stadium
Reporter: It’s no secret Las Vegas, like all destination cities, has been hit hard by the pandemic over the past two years. Senator Jacky Rosen visited Allegiant Stadium to share how they plan on restoring Nevada’s tourism to its full potential and ensuring it has the resources it needs to recover… Having the federal government recognize the importance of travel and tourism to the economy is instrumental in this process.
Telemundo – Las Vegas: Rosen habla de la economía del turismo en el Allegiant Stadium
Reportero: “De acuerdo a la Senadora Rosen, lugares como el estadio Allegiant podrían significar un repunte economico por los eventos tanto deportivos, como musicales que llegaran hasta aqui como la capital mundial del entretenimiento.”
KVVU – Las Vegas: Rosen talks tourism economy at Allegiant Stadium
Reporter: Taking a live look at Allegiant Stadium tonight, where today Raiders team officials joined the LVCVA and Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen to talk about the best ways to support the southern Nevada economy and tourism. COVID-19 shutdowns forced a lot of Nevadans out of work in our area, many of whom are still out of job. Senator Rosen says between the upcoming NFL Pro Bowl, the draft, and the Super Bowl in 2024 progress is being made but there’s still work to be done for an area that relies so heavily on travel and tourism. Today the Senator talked about a new piece of legislation that would support recovery efforts in Nevada.
KSNV – Las Vegas: Rosen talks tourism economy at Allegiant Stadium
Reporter: Senator Jacky Rosen is placing a lot of focus to bringing back travel to the pre-pandemic level with domestic and international travel, and one local official referred to Allegiant Stadium as a beacon of hope during the COVID-19 pandemic because it’s attracted so many tourists out here already. The stadium has already welcomed more than a million people. The Senator was here alongside Steve Hill with the LVCVA, and Clark County Commissioner, Michael Naft. Their discussion focused on helping tourism recover after the hardships we’ve seen our area endure from COVID-19. Rosen is pushing her Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act, which is a bipartisan legislative package that could support the recovery of travel and tourism.
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