ABSTRACT
Travel and tourism are a major part of the American lifestyle. Our country's vast, mobile population requires goods and services provided by this group of companies. Travel is important business in our nation's economic factors. Travel receipts are exceeded in the US only by consumer spending in food stores. It is a highly diversified industry with a half-million component companies, and 99 percent of those companies are classified as small business. The travel industry generates a payroll of $40 billion, with 6.8 million jobs directly and indirectly produced. The large numbers of these jobs are entry-level employment positions and are preeminent in the employment of women, young people and members of minority groups. US and international travelers generated $19 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues. Even the international traveler has become a major source of interest to our nation.
