>> business news from the capital region. this is "washington business report" with abc7 national correspondent rebecca cooper. >> thank you for joining us. we are looking at busiss and finance. i am in r rebecca cooperer. she will be back next week.k. future tax rates. i'm wonderingng how the campaign will impt area businesses? that will be the topic of our roundtable segment. but first, a look at the increasingly important business sector. the economy of tourism.

capital tourism added up to an estimated $6 billion for our area in 2011. we are glad welcome back to the show elliotott ferguson fromm destination d.c. thank you for being with us. thank you for having me. >> y you have good news. a lot of people are struggling. we are really excited about what the tourism industry means for washington d.c. >> ok so $6 billion. and that accounts for -- how many jobs does that count for in our area? >> putting it in perspective, $6 million represents 70,000-plus

jobs for washington, d.c. we paid $24 less in taxes for the money that is generated for washington. >> that is nexto the federal government? next to the federaral governrnment and one of the fastest-growing areas. >> are people starting to get seriouabout what you're actually doing for the economy? >> i think people appreciate the tourism, but i think there must be a misnomer in the process. they do not realize we are competing against major cities around the country. whoever has the best bid wins. it's not just all the variables washington has to offer. we have a lot of visitors to

come to washington. let's face it. they come in, do all the free things, even hot dog. part of our goal is to penetrate the international maet. countries that are growingng china, brazil, india. >> and europe i struggling, but their money is stilworth h more than ours? >> absolutely. they are struggling. but we went to europe bause our dollar was stronger. they are still coming here because their money goes much further. they are spending ur weeks of vacation compad the one week president would normall take. ey are maximizing their time, spending it on retail. >> how do you go after that group? >> we spend a lot of time on the road. we haveepresentatn in

various countries. >> china? >> we are speaking to various tourism operators. your encourang them to come to washington d.c., telelling stories about our area. we did that in tdem with the united narrow uninited airlrlines. the goal is toook at washington d.c. as a destination. >> they know aboutashington. basiecapitohill. they s see the white house. but think about virginia's vineyards. you do not think of virginia. you think of california. that costs money to get word out, doesnsn't it? >> absolutely. i think there is a perceptn of d.c. globally that t we are not necessarily as glamorous as some

other cities in the u.s. that is part of our goal and our mission. we a out there. we are doing it domestically and internationally to change the perception of washington. everywhere in the countryf there is specific news about the gornment, it is not glamorous. it is n sexy. folks are not saying, let's go toto washington because of thahat story on the news. but we are exposing them t a different perspective of washshington, the things we like to showcase. the smithsonian is in the c city. these to. the monunuments are free. but also the retail. ththe great restaurants in the city. everything. >> but it's tough to get here if you have to go through that these e are processed. it can take 100 days. >> you're getting at all the hot

spots. whats going on now -- i'm a member of the u.s. travel advisory board, talking specifically about the issueue of the visa waiver and d making the process much easier for countries thatre important to our ecomy. right now york hearing what is happening with brazil. -- rig now you are hearing what is happening with brazil. isery likely it will become anotherisa waiver country. if it takes 60 days s or longer to be confirmed f a visa, and probably going to go somewhere else. we make the process mumuch easr for people to come here. >> not great news abouut the conventions that. > 2012 has not been our best year. there are a lot ovariables. there's a lot of competition. indianapolis --- which did a great job of getting the super wl. denver. now they have theew convention

center, more space they are cheheaper. we also o have philadelphia, which jujust expanded their conventn center. isis n just washington, d.c it's the economy. is the additional inventory customerhave to choose from. and ththey areaying we love washington, but we also look to the fact that our attendancwas down at last ar. , wewe' becoming mo compmpetitive. and we are working with our community to get that business. things like th new hotel. the new markey and other productshat are coming along -- rquee and otr products that are coming along to help us be comompetitive. >> thank you so much. >> thank you, jennifer. >> we will be back with o our

roundtable right after this. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

>> we're back with t this week's round tablble. we have ougo to contributor per morici from the universy of maryland's. doug fruehling reports for washington business journal along with his colleague msy frederick. thank you for joining us. we were just talking tourissm. l's talk a about mayor greg.

>> interesting weeeek huh? >> the pressure is on. most peoeople think he will end up resigning. the minute you say he won't resign -- our track record in the last sisix months has been he will resign. heould hang in there for another couple weeks. but there's a lot of uncertainty right now d a lot of people are very frustrated. >> he has not been chargrged. >> three of his associates have pled guilty. the prosecution has accused the campmpaign o of running a shell campaign funneling money to campaign. whether hehe knew about it -- we justst don't know what the prosecutor has. >> and please anyone jump in on

any of this. let's talk a little bit about that. you cover this. there is a big push to do some groundwork in d.c.c. >> yes, it is very exciting. the timing -- right now youave the national's. you have them doing great. the officials of looking at th. --re looking at this. they are back for the second year. they are and the brainstorming phase right now, trying to figure out how we can make a real marketing push. how do we not only make d.c.c. a place for monuments andnd m museumsms but for spoports events? >> we have better venues than we d 20 years ago and that makes a big difference. you go to chicago -- >> exactctly. >> we have of beautiful baseball

field. for the first time since the 1930's, we havave a competent baseball team in washington, d.c. >> i know. >> oer cities they can look out to be a model for events. take a look at indianapolis for example. that was after 30 years of planning looooking a at smaller events, building up to this. if d.c. it lays the groundwork now, they can do more in the future. >> when they hahad the super bowl i was really happy. i do not feel ththey took it and ran with it like inindianapolis. > and that is probably a more far of comup in the sky -- bubut an interesting -- of more far

off, pie in the sky, buit is interesting. there is an entire night of activities and to do covering the presidential campaigns what is your take on what is going on right now? we're talking about obama's tax plan. i think the presint is doing at he needs to do, and that is run out the clock. romney never seems to forge ahead, but he holds a wider lead where it counts in places like ohio. there is the gender gap in thesee things. womemen like the democrs. but mr. prident obama is doing much better. as has been witnessed in pennsylvania. each week the president comes up

with a new issue. this week, it was taxes. thatat distractedttention from the lousy j jobs report. i have to say, the guy is a masterful campaign. he was doing a bus tour in ohio and pennsylvania. what was romney doing? motorboating in new hampshire. not exactly what coconservatives uld like to see in their candidates -- and their candidates -- in their candidate. >> i think he was jet skiing. >> doesnsn't really matatter? >> and yo take on the campaign so far what you have been weak -- w what you haveve been witnessing? >>t has been a roller coaster riride for the e economy. is not looking good for obobama right now. if we d don't start creating more

jobs by y the electction, it is gog to be a thin margin. >> whwhere romneyomes up sht is he has n not explain to people out his policies are e diffent from bush -- no onone wants to bring that back -- and will create jobs. >> he has popolicies tha wildo that? >> he doeand he doesn't. when easterr -- when he started running for presisident,t, he talked abouout china, oil, banks. now he is not talking abo china or oil. if we create all kinds of jobs all kinds of stu to do, he is not for that stuff anymore. h's instead listening to a lott of push- -- bush-h-er advisea isis basically c chance to regulation. -- cnt "deregulation" and free

trade. >> we wille back after a break. but first -- >> when the government business married technology, the offspring becacame a language based on acronyms. 1 akrom worth noting is iem -- acronym worth noting is iem. of the past seven years a long list of domestic and f foreign governments have adopted the protocol such as the amber alert and the european inititiative to combat organized crime. it represents the best returnrn on investment for our taxpayer dollars that i know of, according to one analyst.

it stands for the innovation and improved efficiency of go

>> we are back with our roundtable. that includes do fruehling and missy frederick from washington buness journal and peter morici. were just speakg wi destination d.c. about encouraging tourism here and showing them thihis is more than just about museums.

w do we go about that? >> if you go out to maryland and virginia, it is a huge aspect of our tourism industry. there are four new winery's. two are on the white. that is historically a large number. -- two or on the way. we are in the 150th anniversary. there are things like customized wine bottles. if you want to go see a battlefield, go get up a winery later in your trip. >> and with the annnniversary -- talk about that. >> we have two thgs going on about that. we have the anniversary o the civil war. we have lots of travels to manassssas. and we saw huge crowds going to baltimimore.

there w a celebration. that will continue for the next couple of years. prince george's county will get the chancece to catalize on that. >> there's always lots t their. >> gog ba to the mayor what this next week look l like for him? >> he is trying to make as many phone callss he c, but the wawashington post had a story today thatt even commmmunity residents who voted for him h have now turned against them.m. they are sayinhe hasas got to go. he has lost a lot of peoeople. >> can he be removed if he is not indicte >> i'm not sure howhe law is written. if there is a recall -- >> was there o or recall? >> t there was our recall after th petitions and such.

i do not know of the publ has the authorority to vote him o out in peach him. i just don't know. >> is this a conversationon peoplple are hing every single day? >> we see that juririsdictions have been rather obstinate. >> trurue. >> what is sprisining is, i would have suggested it was cocommon ground for the former chairman. en he was indicted, he resign driveway as part off that deal. i would have thght the opposite with the mayor, thahat he would have reesigneded. >> talking about the issue. it is a dedeal. him agreeing to leave. >> and there's a lot of speculatn, too,about what should this meeting ought to do. no one will ananswer the queuestion.

>> how do you run the city under the circumststances we have never ever seen before? >> wereou surpriseded? >> oh, come on. > you here every day persoson's say at - everybody does it but he somehow got caught. >> be used to byou could raise campmpaign money, run for congress. but over time the standards have gone up. look w what happened -- granted he was notot convicted. >> wwill all bee watching to see what happens.. thank you for joining us. >> thank you for having yes. >> we will be right back with the number ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male

announcer ] everyone likes a bit of order in their life. virtual wallet helps you get it. ep keep track of spending move money with a slide and use the calendar. all to see youour money how you want. ♪ ♪ >> our number of the week -- 3. it is virginia's position on cnbc's st of the best states in which to do business. maryland ft two notches as well from first place. thankk y for joining us. we will l see you back next sunday.

take care. captione ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪