L.A. council members seek to boost foreign tourism

“Responding to a drop in international travelers at LAX, two City Council members Friday proposed a new federal committee to boost foreign tourism in Los Angeles and at other U.S. gateway cities…Council members Hahn and Tom LaBonge were joined by the Travel Industry Assn. of America and L.A. Inc., the city’s convention and visitors bureau, in calling for a federal committee to address a 17% decline in the number of international tourists to the United States over the last five years. The proposed committee, potentially made up of representatives from major destinations, would help the U.S. compete for international travel, including by overseeing an advertising campaign. ‘We’re asking the U.S. to partner with Los Angeles and other cities that are competing for international travelers,” said Michael Collins, executive vice president of L.A. Inc. ‘We do not send a message of welcome. We do not ask visitors to come to America’ .”