Joint Committee On Cruise Ship Industry Appointed
Recently, the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Joe Straus, gave me the privilege to serve as the chairman of the Joint Interim Committee to Study the Development of a Cruise Industry. This appointment is great for our area and should act as another step forward in showcasing the benefits of bringing the cruise industry to the Coastal Bend. The study would look at involving the cruise industry to locate a potential departure point between Calhoun County and Cameron County. Our local tourism industry is a strong economic factor that fuels our state and region’s workforce and infrastructure. According to the Global Travel Industry News, the global cruise industry impact on the Texas economy in 2014 was an astounding $1.33 billion. Additionally, Texas accounted for around 6.3% of the nationwide cruise industry spending.
The cruise industry could help our region expand our economy in the Coastal Bend. As an example, according to a recent publication from the Cruise Lines International Association, in Texas, the cruise industry generated over 22,000 jobs which translated to over $1 billion in wages and salaries. Additionally, according to that same study, tourism-related industries received around $569 million of the overall total direct spending. In addition, another $481 million of the overall spending was spent on other business industries outside of the tourism industry. These business segments included food processors, advertising agencies, machinery manufacturers and petroleum refiners in the manufacturing sector, management and technical consulting companies in the non-manufacturing sector, and insurance carriers. The other remaining industries that saw a positive economic impact included wholesalers of products that were purchased by the cruise lines, software publishers and communication companies, apparel manufacturers, and navigation equipment.
Through the appointment of this joint committee, we will be able to showcase the strong benefits of bringing the cruise industry to the Coastal Bend. I hope that you will join me, as we further discuss the expansion of this industry. I am very honored to be appointed as chair of the joint committee, and I am truly looking forward to exploring this topic in the weeks and months ahead. If you would like to learn more about the cruise industry, please feel free to visit Cruise Line International Association as well as Global Travel Industry News.
South Texas represents one of the fastest-growing regions in the State of Texas. Along with the significant population in the region and its surrounding areas, the Texas coast offers a robust tourism industry, a wealth of natural resources and a number of ports which could be used to host a cruise ship line.
If you would like to follow the Texas House and learn more information on news, committees or other aspects of the legislative body, you can access its website at Texas House of Representatives. The site features live streaming from committee hearings as well as access to a number of other resources. You can also follow the Texas Senate at Texas Senate. For important information regarding transportation in the state, feel free to visit the Texas Department of Transportation. Other references are the Texas General Land Office, or visit the Texas Railroad Commission.
If you have questions regarding any of the information mentioned in this week’s article, please do not hesitate to call my Capitol or District Office. Please always feel free to contact my office if you have any questions or issues regarding a Texas state agency, or if you would like to contact my office regarding constituent services. As always, my offices are available at any time to assist with questions, concerns or comments (Capitol Office, 512-463-0672; District Office, 361-949-4603).
– State Representative Todd Hunter, District 32
Rep. Hunter represents Nueces (Part) County. He can be contacted at todd.hunter@house.state.tx.us or at 512-463-0672.
