SENATE RESOLUTION

                         1996-8695

By Senators Cantu, Snyder, Rasmussen and Kohl

     WHEREAS, Tourism is of vital economic and cultural importance to the states and provinces of the Pacific Northwest comprised of Washington, Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon; and

     WHEREAS, The State and Provincial governments of the Pacific Northwest are members of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region, a nonprofit public-private partnership established to promote regional economic cooperation; and

     WHEREAS, The States and Provinces of the Pacific Northwest Region expend in excess of $50 million per year to promote the tourism industry and attract millions of tourists from throughout North America and the World; and

     WHEREAS, The tourism industry constitutes billions of dollars in economic activity for the States and Provinces of the Pacific Northwest Region; and

     WHEREAS, The States and Provinces of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region have undertaken numerous collaborative and innovative tourism initiatives that have been successful in promoting tourism in the region and have laid the ground work for ongoing cooperative tourism development efforts; and

     WHEREAS, Current proposals before Congress to establish a National Tourism Board and a National Tourism Organization to develop a national travel and tourism strategy to promote tourism in the United States is of considerable importance to the States of the Pacific Northwest; and

     WHEREAS, Participation on the National Tourism Board and the National Tourism Organization is of vital interest and importance to the States of the Pacific Northwest;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate of the state of Washington respectfully request that a public and a private sector representative of the Pacific Northwest Economic Region be appointed to the National Tourism Board and the National Tourism Organization respectively; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted to the Honorable William J. Clinton, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

I, Marty Brown, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 1996-8695,

adopted by the Senate February 26, 1996.

MARTY BROWN

Secretary of the Senate