National Travel and Tourism Week 2021

Celebrating the value travel holds for our economy, businesses and personal well-being

From your friends at Auburn-Opelika Tourism

National Travel and Tourism Week is an annual tradition for the tourism community. It’s a time when hospitality and tourism professionals celebrate the value tourism holds for our economy, businesses, and personal well-being. This year, there is more reason than ever to celebrate the collective strength of our industry and its dynamic workforce.

The 38th annual National Travel and Tourism Week May 2-8 recognizes the Power of Travel and the critical role tourism plays in bringing back our vibrant community, restoring the local economy, rebuilding our workforce, and reconnecting our visitors to the unique spirit of Auburn-Opelika.

Prior to the pandemic, the hospitality industry was a powerful economic engine, supporting jobs and driving local economies in every pocket of America. The industry had experienced 107 straight months of growth, generated $2.6 trillion in economic output, supported 17 million American jobs, and delivered a $51 billion trade surplus to the U.S.

Unfortunately, that growth plummeted last year due to the pandemic. Travel spending in the U.S. declined 42%, costing the economy $1.1 trillion, while hardworking Americans supported by travel made up a staggering 65% of all U.S. unemployment. Here in Auburn-Opelika, the hospitality industry is facing a new kind of pandemic: a workforce pandemic.

However, Auburn-Opelika—and the travel industry—is resilient. While we faced extraordinary challenges in the past year, the hospitality industry is uniting like never before, lifting each other up, aiding one another, and devoting ourselves fully to the task of supporting and restoring all sectors of hospitality. This year’s NTTW is an opportunity to turn the page to a new chapter in our industry’s story and celebrate its collective power by spotlighting the innumerable ways tourism will drive recovery, bring people together again, and help define our country’s path forward.

Auburn-Opelika is participating in NTTW by connecting those in need of a job to our hospitality partners through a free Hospitality Industry Job Fair on May 25.

From the Robert Trent Jones Grand National Golf Course to the Collegiate Hotel, Auburn-Opeika's hospitality and tourism industry contributes so much to our local economy and our community’s unique character. From all of us at AO Tourism, we are so excited to share the full power of our industry—and the strength and spirit of Auburn-Opelika—this NTTW, and show how tourism works for you.