Publisher's Letter

As our newly elected Congress, General Assembly and other local elected officials get ready to start their new year and agendas, it is logical to expect them to focus on creating jobs. There is no question that our economy is still challenged and the only real solution is to enable businesses to grow their revenues and create jobs for many of our citizens who have been unemployed.

Speaking of creating jobs, it is important to remind ourselves and our elected officials that despite the tough economy, the hospitality industry is one of the few industries around the nation that has actually been adding new jobs.

A recent report published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that more than 75% of states around the country have seen growth in hospitality industry jobs during the past five years. Although some of our decision makers at the state level still have not embraced the hospitality industry as a vital industry for North Carolina, they should be pleased to know that our remarkable industry has helped North Carolina to rank no.3 in hospitality job growth. The report indicated that only New York and Texas have done a better job of adding jobs, than the 26,000 new hospitality jobs which were created in North Carolina since August of 2005.

We obviously have seen the growth in hospitality related venues, revenues and jobs in the Charlotte area. The old North Carolina economy, which was about tobacco and textile is long gone; and in the new North Carolina, hospitality industry jobs have become a major part of the foundation for our economy along with banking, health care, real estate development, construction and energy.

We have come a long way since just fifteen years ago when hospitality industry jobs in Charlotte and throughout North Carolina were labeled as "Hamburger Flipping Jobs" that no one wanted. Today hospitality industry jobs have transformed into jobs that most officials welcome and advocate for.

Yet, we still have a long way to go to fully engage our local and statewide officials in understanding the remarkable opportunities within our industry and thousands of jobs that come with them.

As everyone talks about creating jobs, the hospitality industry has actually been delivering on that mission and can do more. We simply need to make our region and our state a more enhanced travel destination, as well as more visitor-friendly to create a lot more jobs.

I appreciate everything that all of you in the hospitality industry and related industries do to make us proud of our industry.