Committee trims Tourism Division travel budget

Tuesday, June 3, 1997 | 11:32 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- If you would like a job traveling the globe, you might apply to the state Tourism Division.

Its international sales manager, Brenda Hughes, has trips planned for next fiscal year to Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Mexico, Germany and twice each to Japan and London.

The division asked to increase its two-year out-of-state travel budget from $142,000 to $280,000, or nearly double. That's too much, says the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, which reduced it to $203,000.

Committee Chairman Morse Arberry, D-Las Vegas, said Hughes was ticketed to have a $53,000-a-year travel budget. "That person could be gone every day. There would be enough free frequent flier miles to fly the rest of the year."

Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, sought to protect the budget request. He argued that Europe, with its "upscale" travelers, is a prime place from which to draw tourists. He said the division's request for travel funds should be honored in full.

Assemblywoman Chris Giun-chigliani, D-Las Vegas, responded that the division hasn't shown that its travels are justified. There are no performance indicators to evaluate the benefits of the travel, she said.

State Tourism Director Tom Tait could not be reached for comment.

The Senate Finance Committee has not taken final action on the division's budget. But so far, there haven't been major questions about the travel.

For the second year of the biennium, the travel agenda would essentially be the same, with planned trips to South America, Taipei and Hong Kong.