Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, issued the following statement concerning President Obama visiting the Gulf Coast with his family this weekend:

“The 400,000 workers in the travel and tourism industry along the Gulf Coast thank President Obama for his concern about the effects of the recent disaster on travel and tourism, and for recognizing the important signal this visit sends to those considering a vacation in the Gulf region. Actions like this will send a clear message that the Gulf shoreline remains clean and open for business. Each individual, family or business employee who travels there will play a significant role in saving jobs and helping mitigate the long-term effects of the oil spill on travel and tourism in the region.

“A study by Oxford Economics released last month shows that, based on an analysis of 25 previous disasters, the Gulf region’s travel industry will likely be impacted by the oil spill over the next three years and could lose $22.7 billion in travel spending if significant efforts to clear up common misperceptions aren’t made. This is a major step in promoting travel to the region. We look forward to working closely with the White House and Congress to ensure our government continues to do all it can to relieve hardship for the travel community in the Gulf.”