L.A. Pulls Off Coup, Landing Huge International Travel Convention
Giving a much-needed boost to local tourism, the Travel Industry Assn. of America said that it has chosen Los Angeles as the site of its 1996 international convention for travel professionals.
The annual gathering, called the Discover America International Pow Wow, is expected to attract 5,400 attendees and generate $7.8 million during its four-day run, said George D. Kirkland, president of the Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau.
The event, for which four other cities competed, is expected to bring at least $190 million in future international travel to Los Angeles alone, the Travel Industry Assn. estimates.
Last year’s meeting in San Francisco drew international travel buyers from 59 countries.
“This is a big victory,” Kirkland said. “This validates Los Angeles’ position as a premiere international travel destination at a time when we need it most.”
The TIA’s decision Friday came the same day that a task force recommended that city government provide a $100-million subsidy to attract a new downtown hotel, which officials believe is key to the success of the expanded $500-million Los Angeles Convention Center, scheduled to be completed in September, 1993.
Los Angeles has had trouble competing with other cities for large conventions partly because the city has only 195 hotel rooms within two blocks of the convention center.
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