Contact: Erika Boyd

VP, Government Relations & Communications

Texas Travel Alliance
eboyd@ttia.org
Phone: (830) 624-6169

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Texas Travel Alliance calls on Governor Abbott to recognize

the importance of the Travel Industry to Texas’ economic recovery

(Austin, TX), May 12, 2020 – As Texas begins to allow businesses to reopen across all sectors of the
economy, those in the hard-hit travel sector stand ready to help the state economy rebound from this
devastating pandemic. Many of the 60,000 small businesses in the travel and tourism industry have
closed their doors and been forced to furlough or lay-off employees during the shelter-in-place phase.
Now that the Governor has initiated a phased reopening of the state, our members are ready to open
and start contributing to their local economies and the state economy, putting millions of Texans back
to work and generating much-needed tax revenues. We call on Governor Greg Abbott to recognize
the importance of the Texas travel industry as a major revenue generator for the state’s economic
recovery.

“On behalf of more than 600 organizational members, The Texas Travel Alliance calls on Governor
Abbott to publicly recognize the importance of the Texas travel industry to the state’s economy,” said
Texas Travel Alliance President & CEO Dan Decker. “The 1.2 million Texans who work in travel and
tourism are counting on the Governor. Life’s Better in a State of Travel is more than a slogan, it is an
important step toward getting the Texas economy moving again. We invite the Governor to join us in
our efforts.”

Our members are implementing best practices and protocols as well as rigorous training for
cleanliness, health, and safety. Experienced industry leaders are collaborating on the methods they
are adopting to ensure their employees, guests, and the community remain safe as we begin
traveling, shopping in local businesses, eating at restaurants, and visiting museums, aquariums, zoos,
parks and other attractions. (See attached letter to the Governor and re-opening plans)

-More-
 The travel industry encompasses hotels, restaurants, airlines and airports, attractions, destinations, and
many more businesses that create more than 1.2 million jobs in Texas. The travel industry is an
economic driver for the Texas economy. It is among the largest export industries in the state, second
only to oil and gas, and a significant contributor to oil and gas tax revenues as well as sales tax, hotel
occupancy tax, auto rentals, alcoholic beverage tax, and others. Travel spending in Texas helps to lower
the overall tax bill for every Texas household.

In 2018, due to travel spending in Texas, each Texas household paid $740 less in taxes. In 2018,
according to data from the Governor’s Office of Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office, a total
of $80.3 billion in direct travel spending was recorded in Texas (by travelers to and within Texas). That
travel spending generated $4.5 billion in state taxes and $3.0 billion in local taxes. Many local
economies have suffered significant financial losses and are now facing massive budgetary shortfalls
due to the lack of tax revenues generated by travel and tourism, which they rely on to fund their
budgets.

The Texas travel industry stands ready to help revitalize state and local economies as we head into the
summer months with a full, strong summer season, contributing much-needed tax revenues to fuel
public services, education, and other critical community needs as we begin to recover from this
devastating pandemic.
-END-

Texas Travel Alliance is a non-profit organization made up of businesses, organizations, associations and individuals
dedicated to making Life Better in a State of Travel. Our mission is to unify the travel industry and develop industry
leadership that will support and influence the growth of Texas travel and tourism. For more information about the Texas
Travel Alliance, visit www.ttia.org.

Attached is the letter to Governor Abbott on re-opening travel businesses in Texas, including plan to re-
open Texas attractions and destinations with executive leadership signatories.

Info below on our economic recovery campaign:

Caption for photograph: Life’s Better in a State of Travel Economic Recovery Campaign,
creative by The Atkins Group.

Video available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMv1SkMxClQ&feature=youtu.be

More information on the campaign here: https://www.ttia.org/page/LifesBetter

Texas Travel Alliance | 1705 S. Capital of Texas Hwy, Suite 160, Austin, TX 78746 | P: (512) 328-8842 | www.TTIA.org
May 8, 2020

Governor Greg Abbott,

The Texas travel industry is a significant contributor to the Texas economy. In 2018, according to
data from your office of Economic Development & Tourism, a total of $80.3 billion in direct travel
spending was recorded in Texas (by travelers to and within Texas). That travel spending generated
$4.5 billion in state taxes and $3.0 billion in local taxes. The economic impact of travel in 2018 (direct,
indirect and induced) was $164 billion, which supported 1.2 million Texas jobs and $59 billion in travel
generated earnings.

According to U.S. Travel’s weekly Coronavirus Impact on Travel Report, Texas has been losing, on
average, $432 Million each week over the last six weeks during a time when travel in Texas is
ramping up for the peak summer travel season. This equates to a $7.3 Billion dollar loss in direct
travel spending to our state and an 86% decline in travel spending year over year. Much of this
impact is being felt by the more than 60,000 small businesses that make up the Texas travel industry.

As Texas begins to re-open the travel and tourism industry stands ready to do so as well, following
CDC and state guidelines. These businesses and attractions are planning for a phased-in opening
starting May 16th at 25% of capacity with progressive increased capacity to 50% by May 22nd, the
beginning of the Memorial Day weekend.

Attached is a re-opening plan compiled by experienced leaders from our state’s attractions.
Attractions in Texas include zoos, aquariums, theme parks, waterparks, show caves and other
attractions. I have also included samples of specific attraction’s plans.

Please review and share with the business and medical leaders on your Strikeforce for consideration.
We will be happy to answer any questions you have and provide access to the leaders that
developed this plan for further discussion on how we can work together to revive the Texas economy.

Respectfully,

Daniel J. Decker
President & CEO

1705 S. Capital of Texas Hwy, Ste 160 | Austin, TX 78746 | 512-328-8842 | www.ttia.org
 Re-opening Texas Attractions
A plan for keeping guests safe at our region’s top attractions

May 8, 2020

Introduction
This plan was jointly created by a working group of business leaders in Texas attractions to ensure the
safety of our guests and employees and welfare of our animals where they exist in our parks, zoos,
aquariums, waterparks, show caves and other attractions. Together, this group has relevant experience
in guest and employee safety, animal welfare, health and emergency management needed to confront
the challenge collectively before us.

This plan is informed by that experience, as well as the experience of others in the travel and tourism
industry across the country and around the globe.

As predominantly open-air, regional outdoor experiences, we are prepared to lead the way in safely
reopening attractions in Texas. Our employees are trained in a culture of health, safety and welfare to
provide incredible experiences for our guests and stand ready to return to work and do our part to
operate in this post-COVID-19 environment. As we look towards the future, we are committed to
working with you, your Administration and our partners in local, state and federal public health to safely
reopen Texas attractions and protect the health and safety of all Texans.
These principles are designed for opening once government officials remove “stay-at-home” orders,
allow non-essential businesses to reopen, and say it is safe for citizens to move around their
community.

1. These principles will be adjusted/simplified as conditions change and governmental health

directives become clearer.
2. These principles are designed to be a rough outline, subject to discussion, and adjustment as
needed with input from the local government agencies and health authorities where the
attraction operates.
3. Key principles
a. Only individuals who are healthy and not displaying any symptoms should visit/work
b. Take precautions as if not everyone is healthy
i. Masks
ii. Physical distancing, which may require temporary reductions in attraction and
facility capacities
c. Must have a plan in case someone gets sick after arrival

1705 S. Capital of Texas Hwy, Ste 160 | Austin, TX 78746 | 512-328-8842 | www.ttia.org
Why Attractions Are Different From Other Mass Gatherings
1. Capacity can be reduced/managed to allow for appropriate social distancing.
2. Exposure time is limited. Guests generally move throughout their experience, much like in an
inner-city district or zone. The guests are not sitting or standing together in a single location,
elbow-to-elbow for an extended period of time.
3. A large percentage of attraction attendance is made up of family members who live in the same
home.

As a result, these guidelines are strict and are based on the knowledge that some carriers of COVID-
19 show no symptoms. With that in mind, it’s important to have employees wear masks and an effective
disinfection and sanitation program in place for high-touch surfaces, and to establish programs and
capacities that allow for appropriate levels of social distancing.

Summary of Joint Key Safety / Disinfection Strategies and Protocols

1. Guest and Employee Screening

Check the Temperature of Employees
• Team Members will be screened for high temperatures when they arrive on the property.
We are Still Evaluating Conducting Non-Invasive Temperature Checks on Guests
• If we go this route, we would expect to use handheld contact-less IR thermometers to screen
guests prior to entry.
• The industry is also evaluating a simple guest inquiry similar to that being used in medical
settings.

1705 S. Capital of Texas Hwy, Ste 160 | Austin, TX 78746 | 512-328-8842 | www.ttia.org
2. Personal Protective Equipment
We Will Provide All Employees with Personal Protective Gear
• Every employee will be provided a face mask, gloves, hand sanitizer and/or safety glasses
(depending in each case on their roles).
• Employees will be required to follow specific guidelines for the use of PPE while in our facilities
until further guidance is provided.

3. Social Distancing Measures

Enforce 6-feet Separation in all Queues
• We will have clear markers in all key guest facing areas including rides, restroom and dining
queues to help parties keep a safe distance from one another.
Minimize Guest Contact During Security Pre-screen
• We will have additional distancing protocols in place for security screening.
• In order to reduce the need for invasive hands-on bag checks we will allow guests to bypass
some screening protocols if they bring personal items into the park using a clear plastic bag.
Enforce Party Separation in Seating Areas
• Dining areas will be reconfigured to ensure social distancing between seated parties.
• In areas where strangers are seated together, seats will be removed or blocked off to ensure
that there is a clear 6-feet gap between parties.
Introduce Service Style changes in our Food and Beverage locations
• Restaurants, Carts & Kiosks will adhere to social distancing requirements through signage, line
markings and enhanced spacing inside our restaurants.
• Employees will serve guests in most locations instead of guests serving themselves (e.g.,
buffets, catering and events).
• We will also adjust and eliminate, until it is safe to reintroduce, our respective refillable &
reusable food and beverage program.
Reduce Indoor Facility Venue Capacity
• While most of our facilities consist of outdoor experiences, we have many indoor shops,
restaurants and service buildings.
• Capacity at each of these venues will be reduced to ensure that there is plenty of room for social
distancing.
Separate Parties on Rides & Attractions, Animal Exhibits and Interactions
• We have developed specific plans for each of our rides and attractions to minimize contact
between parties and follow strict social distancing guidelines.
• The plans include strategies for separating parties include empty rows and leaving empty seats
between parties in ride vehicles.
Reduce Daily Park Capacity as needed to maintain distancing
• We will reduce the maximum daily attendance at each of our parks to reduce crowds and
conform to social distancing standards.
Separate Employees and Guests with barriers (when possible)
• We are evaluating the introduction of plexiglass barriers at many of our food outlets to
definitively separate guests from employees.
Social Distancing in Animal and Entertainment Viewing Areas
• Parties viewing animals will be required to maintain six-feet social distancing protocols.

1705 S. Capital of Texas Hwy, Ste 160 | Austin, TX 78746 | 512-328-8842 | www.ttia.org
 • Parties viewing entertainment, in the form of live outdoor street shows, fireworks display, or
other people playing games, will be separated from the performances and each other by at least
six feet.
• In some cases, and out of an abundance of caution, we will limit or otherwise remove certain
entertainment that would encourage or otherwise violate social distancing protocols.

4. Cleaning and Sanitation

Increase the cleaning frequency of common areas
• We are significantly increasing our efforts to sanitize and disinfect all high touch points such as
chairs, tubes, benches, tables, etc.
Provide Additional Hand Sanitizer Locations and Access Throughout the Park
• We will have a large number of stations throughout the park offering free hand sanitizer to
guests.
Continuously Monitor and Sanitize Bathroom Areas
• We will staff each restroom area with personnel who will disinfect each stall and sink area on a
frequent basis use.

5. Work and Sick Policies

Employees will be required to notify their employer of any flu-like symptoms
• In accordance with sick policies, employees should abstain from coming to work while ill.
• In the event of flu-like symptoms, employers should notify their manager and stay home (or
depart if already on premise).
• Per CDC guidelines, employees feeling ill should self-isolate for 10 days from the onset of the
symptoms and be symptom free for 3 days after the last sign of symptoms (without medication)
prior to returning.
Employees will be required to Self-quarantine in the event of flu-like symptoms
• Employees with flu-like symptoms are to self-quarantine for three days beyond the last sign of
symptoms.
Recommend test to rule out COVID-19 as cause of flu-like symptoms
• Our strong recommendation for our employees is to be tested for COVID-19 should they feel ill.
•
6. COVID-19 Training Plan
COVID-19 Onboarding Training
• We will have increased onboarding training for key jobs to cover COVID-19 related operating
procedures and recent changes.
Increased Compliance and Tracking of COVID-19 Operational Practices
• We will have consistent and clear management of adherence to COVID-19 related operational
practices.
Remote or Socially Distant Classroom Training for Employees
• Every employee traditionally undergoes a significant amount of training for our businesses.
• This will be replaced with remote training whenever possible or in a format that is consistent
with social distancing requirements.
COVID-19 Refresher Training as Needed
• We will offer refresher training based on changes to guidelines on an as needed basis to our
teams.

1705 S. Capital of Texas Hwy, Ste 160 | Austin, TX 78746 | 512-328-8842 | www.ttia.org
 • In addition, this training will be provided at the request (and / or direction) of any individuals who
request or are deemed by their manager to require refresher training based on job performance.

Reopening Texas Attractions Plan Developed by the Executive Leaders of:

Reopening Texas Attractions Plan Supported by the Executive Business Leaders of:

1705 S. Capital of Texas Hwy, Ste 160 | Austin, TX 78746 | 512-328-8842 | www.ttia.org