As a long time resident of San Antonio I know that most people in Texas and the Southwest think of San Antonio as a great vacation destination, which is a great compliment for our city.

It’s especially relevant now because we are in the middle of National Travel and Tourism Week. This week was designated back in 1983 to celebrate all that travel and tourism does for local and national economies.

Think about it: You go out to eat and you spend money locally. That’s nice, but it’s local money being circulated through the local economy. Now, someone from elsewhere comes here for business or pleasure, and they end up spending money in restaurants, at tourist attractions and at hotels. That’s NEW money coming into the local economy.

According to the Travel Industry Association of America, travel and tourism is a $1.7 trillion dollar industry in the United States. Travel and tourism generates $115 billion in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments. Without that tax revenue, each household would pay $988 in additional taxes.

It’s easy to take for granted a lot of the things that make San Antonio so special for travelers. So when family or friends come to visit, enjoy the city as a visitor would; a barge cruise on the River Walk, tour one of the wineries just north of San Antonio, join in one of the upcoming lavender festivals, or find a new favorite restaurant, and enjoy our city as a visitor would.  Travel enriches our lives.  I look forward to visiting with you when travel brings you to every Texan’s 2^nd home, San Antonio!

San Antonio is all about Warm Heart…Authentic Culture!

We’re striving to create an unforgettable experience for all visitors to the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Spa and Resort. And while “spa” and “resort” are part of our name, we’re also about business.

Meetings and business travel are a huge part of the hospitality industry. According to the U.S. Travel Association, business travel supports 2.4 million jobs while meetings and events are directly responsible for 1 million American jobs. These aren’t just jobs at the meeting site. These are the jobs of the taxi drivers that get you here from the airport. It’s the jobs of the wait staff at the local restaurants where the attendees will dine. It’s the jobs of the people working at the attractions that the attendee families may visit. It’s the jobs and livelihoods of local artisans, shop owners, college students, and others that all benefit when each of us travels. Each meeting and event traveler spends an average of $1,000 per trip. Those are new dollars coming into a community.

Business travel is huge in Texas. The state is second in terms of the percentage of travel that is business related (45.9 percent). Texas also ranks second in share of meetings and event travel by state. In 2007, travelers spent $9.2 billion on meeting and event travel in Texas.

We want to earn as much of that business as possible for San Antonio. With a recent study showing that 87% of Americans who have attended an out of town meeting saying their attendance was important to running a strong business, I know conventions and events are a critical component of our economic recovery. We want you to meet, we want you to travel, we want your business…how can we help? I invite you to write back with your thoughts on the link below.

Remember: San Antonio is all about Warm Heart…Authentic Culture!