Tourism

The travel-tourism industry is a cornerstone of the U.S. economy. One out of 18 Americans in the civilian work force is employed due to travel spending. In most states, travel-tourism ranks first, second or third as the top employer. Among the diverse spectrum of businesses that use outdoor advertising, the hospitality sector buys the most outdoor ads (one third of the total).

In a highly mobile society, outdoor advertising provides useful information to motorists and helps travelers reach their destinations. Most billboard ads promote local business, and most of those businesses are considered "small business." Billboard advertisers say the loss of billboards causes an immediate, significant loss of sales.

Issue Brief

Vermont/Maine Study