Tobacco Documents Online

:xP 1#:~' %41 York Convention and Visi't, ~ MA','OR ,EDNVARD 1: KC±CH, J!IonararyrCl+alrman Executive Committee Chairman PRESTON ROBERT TISCH PRESIDENT' LOEWS'CORPORATIONI { President CHARLES GILLETT Vice Presldents MICHAEL BURKE PRESlDENT~ MADISOX SQUARE GARDEN CENTER FRANK'G. WANGEMAN SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTi HILTON HOTELS CORPORATIOW Secretary.Treasurer EDWARD LOEB' WICEPRESIDENT6UE. PUBUSHINO.COIIPANTI FRANCIS' J. BARRY' PRESIDENT~ CIRCLE.L!INE,S JERRY BERNS' YICEI PRESIDENT~. ••a1^ CLUB. INC. G. &EYSSELL REAL ESTATE'.CON311LTANTi DANIEL C. HICKEY WARSCHALL ASSOCIATES;,INC. ALLAN R. JOHNSON CHAIRMAN SAKSFIFfHAYENUE llAWRENCE'LACHMAN CHAIRMAN BLOOMINGDALE'S ROSEMARY McMURTRY ' YICE'PRESIDENT MCCALL COMPA'Ntl' • .31lrc:uu, Inc', go East 4a'Iid StrLl..i,,h1e'w York, h1,.Y. 10017 • 6$'7=n3oo April 3, 1978 Honorable Alexander B. Crannis. New York State Assembly Albany, Nesx' York 12224 1 Ni4 Re: A'., 8565-8,, AN ACT toi amend the publicc health law, in relation to protecting, the public healthi,, comfort and environ- ment by prohibiting smoking in public places and at meetings of' the public except in desig,niated smoking areas. Dear Assemblyman Crannis: We are deeply concerned at the economic penalties which A. 8565-B', an act to amend the public heal!th law by prohibiting'slnoking in public places and at meetings of the public'except in designated smoking areas, would!have on the visitor industry. Toiurismis now established as New York City's lead- ing growth industry, in large part thanks to the marketing programs of the New York CorLvention,and' Visitors Bureau. However, ours is an extremely competitive industry and this proposed legislation would handicap our sales efforts. ; Moire than one hundred cities throughout the natior have organizations similar to the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau. These bureaus spend millions of dollars to tell potentiall visitors the virtues of'their particular locales. In addition, hundreds'f of resorts are spending untold millions trying to, attract these same people to their locations. In such a competitive atmosphere, legislation which wouldiprahibit smok~ing, in pub~lic places~, su~chas,, restaurants, hotel lobbies, arenas, auditorium,s, Madison Square Garden, needlessly places New York at a disadvantage with our competitors who do not have such restrictions. Undo~ubte~d~l'y!,, suu'ch, infringe- ments within out state fly in the face of the very

Nw`York Convention anduisitors B'ureau; Inc: B'o~~nora~~b~~le~A~~lexander~ B. Grannis Page 2 ' April 3, ]i9!?& purpose of'the tourism promotion program which the New York State Legislature has funded to attract visitor business to our state. Provisions of the legislation requiring the hospitality industry in the state to act as the arm of'the law ' by enforcing smoking and no smoking zones are not feasible. Qwners and managers of facilities would f'ind' it impossible to jeopardize customer relations by insisting upon strict compliance. • The Department of Health in New York City tried to enforce a resolution of July19~7'4 ,, restrict ing smokiing, to certain public places,, and that effort proved un- successfhl. To require an industry which is sbnsitive. to, the desires of' iits guests to control sociall habits is undesirable and unwarranted. Local managers of hospitality establishments should'not be denied the flexibility to establishiprocedures which they -feell adapt to the preferences of their customers. , The New York Convention and Visitors Bureau regards this legislation as impractical, infeasible and un= enforceable and urges the Legislatuire to consider these negative ramifications in, assessing this pro- posed legislation. Sincerely, '\ Charles Gi,llett President bcc:'Mr. Preston Robert Tisch O