Council members seek boost in tourism
Responding to a drop in international travelers at LAX, two City Council members Friday proposed a new federal committee to boost foreign tourism in Los Angeles and at other U.S. gateway cities.
Also Friday, Councilwoman Janice Hahn called on the city’s airport agency to produce a timeline for completion of new gates at the Tom Bradley International and West Concourse terminals at Los Angeles International Airport. She wants the timeline to be ready for the council’s Trade, Commerce and Tourism Committee within 30 days.
The motions were introduced after The Times reported that LAX has lost 12% of the seats on its international departures while other major U.S. gateway airports posted gains.
Council members Hahn and Tom LaBonge were joined by the Travel Industry Assn. of America and L.A. Inc., the city’s convention and visitors bureau, in calling for a federal committee to address a 17% decline in the number of international tourists to the United States over the last five years.
The proposed committee, potentially made up of representatives from major destinations, would help the U.S. compete for international travel, including by overseeing an advertising campaign.
“We’re asking the U.S. to partner with Los Angeles and other cities that are competing for international travelers,” said Michael Collins, executive vice president of L.A. Inc. “We do not send a message of welcome. We do not ask visitors to come to America.”
Hahn’s push to expedite gate construction at LAX was supported by Laxtec Corp., a nonprofit organization that represents airlines operating at the Bradley terminal. The carriers are concerned that by 2010, there will not be enough gates to accommodate them.
