Tourism industry touts economic impact of campaign travel

The U.S. Travel Association is touting the economic impact of campaign travel during the busy presidential primary season. 

The group said Friday that each visitor in New Hampshire this week as candidates stump for votes ahead of Tuesday’s primary will spend about $350 per day on transportation, lodging and food that will help boost the state’s tourism industry. 

The Travel Association said the figure includes members of each campaign team and reporters who are traveling to New Hampshire to cover the election. 

{mosads}The group’s president, Roger Dow, said candidates will continue to boost tourism numbers for later states on the primary calendar as they crisscross the country stumping for votes. 

“Candidates are constantly extolling the value of specific economic sectors from the stump: manufacturing, tech, ag. How about travel?” Dow said in a statement. 

“The value of our industry as a job creator is measurable in every congressional district in this country, and the campaign season itself provides very visible evidence,” he continued. 

The Travel Association is running ads at the Manchester, N.H., airport highlighting the economic impact of campaign travel.

“2016 Road Warriors: Thanks for doing your share,” the ad says. 

The Travel Association said Friday that will continue in South Carolina when the primaries move there later this month. 

The group is also planning to buy ads in Cleveland and Philadelphia during the Republican and Democratic conventions this summer and Las Vegas during a general election debate that is scheduled for Oct. 19. 

“The best place to get the attention of politicians is where they live — and right now, of course, they live in the state with the next primary,” Dow said.