The Roundtable Means Business

<H1>The Roundtable Means Business

</H1>The Travel Business Roundtable is targeting federal legislators who will lead its fight
to advance its two public policy priorities for 1996 and 1997: the restoration of
business meal tax deductibility and the creation of a private-public partnership to

operate a National Tourist Office.

TBR chairman Jonathan Tisch, president and CEO of Loews Hotels, led a breakfast meeting of the Roundtable in Washington the morning after the travel industry Unity Dinner earlier this month in which he focused on advancing the group's agenda for advocacy and education and the challenge of replacing the travel industry's current congressional champion, Rep. Toby Roth (R-Wis.), who recently announced that he would not run for reelection this fall.

Roth, who heads the House Caucus on Travel and Tourism, has led efforts to enact legislation that would create a private-public entity to replace the now-defunct United States Travel and Tourism Administration. Despite his good efforts and continued assertions that the bill will pass both houses and be signed into law by the president this summer, however, most observers consider that an extremely optimistic timetable.

Tom Bell, chairman of public relations giant Burson-Marstellar and a former congressional staffer, told meeting participants that because it is an election year there are less than 40 days left in the legislative calendar. That means that there is little likelihood that legislation for either of TBR's priorities will pass this year. He urged the group to concentrate its efforts on repealling the reduction in business meal deductibility because "a growth and opportunity issue could have a chance."

Others present noted that the recent White House Conference on Small Business made restoration of the business meal deduction its number one priority.

Ed Faberman, American Airlines government affairs vice president, warned that "there may be a serious crusade to attack corporate welfare in this session," but he agreed with Bell's recommendation to identify "someone to work with Roth this year who will take over the leadership next year."

Among those potential leaders who the group is considering for its "hit list" are Sens. Slade Gorton (R-Wash.), Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Reps. Bill Zeliff (R-N.H.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.). The Roundtable also wants to consider potential leaders from the Florida, New York and California congressional delegations.

At the same time that the Roundtable seeks to cultivate key congressional leaders, it also has decided to create white papers and talking points spelling out its case for business meal tax deductibility and the appropriate replacement for USTTA to help its members speak with a more unified voice.

Tisch also announced that TBR has commissioned Dr. Jim Howell, former chief economist for the Bank of Boston, to determine whether there is sufficient data available to create a leading economic indicator for the travel industry. Such an instrument would go a long way in demonstrating the industry's impact on the U.S. economy.

In order to create the monthly instrument, the TBR needs to gather data on individual travel supplier performance dating back to the mid-1980s, and to gather fresh data on the companies early each month.

A congressional hit list, white papers and the initial results of the effort to create a leading indicator will be presented at TBR's next meeting, which will take place in the Washington Four Seasons Hotel, July 29 and 30.

The Masters Program, TBR's annual education event, will be held in Washington, Nov. 19-21.

For more information on the Travel Business Roundtable or the Masters Program, or to contribute data to economic indicator effort, please call (202) 872-8603.