Travel and tourism is a $1.7 trillion industry in the United States

This week marks the 26th annual National Travel and Tourism week. So what better way to celebrate than to announce an upcoming domestic trip to the Southwest!

I will be heading to New Mexico for a week-long camping adventure with my dad and stepmother in Arizona and Utah that will kick off on Friday, May 23. It will be the inaugural trip for dad's new (older) VW Eurovan that he bought back in March to replace his 28-year-old VW vanagon. Coincidentally, it's been about 28 years since I've camped with dad, so it should be interesting!

Stay tuned for more updates from various locations along our route, which includes the Navajo Nation, Bryce Canyon, Zion National Park and hopefully many more scenic destinations I've marked on my Google map.


View Utah in a larger map

More about National Travel and Tourism Week:
The week was established in 1983 when the U.S. Congress passed a joint resolution designating the week to be celebrated in May 1984. In a White House ceremony, President Ronald Reagan signed a Presidential Proclamation urging citizens to observe the week with "the appropriate ceremonies and activities." Industry leaders and public relations professionals from the major travel and tourism trade associations were the first volunteers to manage the annual event. By January 1986, industry leaders had formed a permanent full-time office at the U.S. Travel Association to sponsor the event and expand tourism awareness into year-round programs.

Next year's events will take place May 8-16, 2010.