Tobacco Documents Online

~ ..~ v~4:~w ~'ork Convention andlVisitors Bureau, Inc. MAYOR&DIWARD I. KOCHL hlonora+yChalnnan' ffxecuttee Committee Chairman PRESTON ROBERTTISCH. PRESIDENT' LOEWS.CORPORATION President CHARLES'G'ILLET'Tf Vtce,PresJdents MICHAEL BURKE, PRESIDENT MADISON SQUARE OARDEN CENTER FRANK G. WANGEMAN' SENIOR!YICE PRESIDENT HILTOWHOTELS CORPORATION Secretary-Tresswrer EDWARD LOEB' YICEPRESIDENT CUE': PUBLISHING COMPANY FRANCIS JL BARRY' PRESIDENT ClRCLE~..LINES~~ JERRY'B'ERNS VICE PRESIDENT' "21"CLUB, INC. (iL Sl EYSSELL RE.ALESTATECONSULTANT DANdEL C. HI'CKEY' MARSCHALL ASSOCIATES, INC. ~ ALLAN R. JOHNSON CHAIRMAN SAKSFIFTH'.AYIENUE. . LAWRENCE LACHMAN CHAIRM'AN•BLOOMINGDA'LE'l, ROSEMARY McMURTRY YICEPRESIDENT . MCCAL!LCOMPANY April 3, 1978 Honorable Tarky J. Lombardi, Jr. New York State Senate Albany, New York 12224 Re: A. 8565-B, AN AC1" to amend the public health law, in relation to protecting the public'heal'th, comfort and environ- ment by prohibiting smoking in public places and~at meetings of the public except in designated smoking areas. Dear Senator Lombardi :. We are deeply concerned at the economic penalties which A. 8''565-B', an act to amend, the public health law by prohibiting smoking in public places and at meetings of the public except in designated smoking areas, would have on the' visitor industry.. Tourism is now estabilished'as New Y©rk City"s lead- ing growth industry, in large part thanks to, the have organizations similar to, the New York Convention an'd' Visitors Bu'reaui. These bureaus spendimillions of dollars tolte]ll potential visitors the virtues, of their particular locales. In addition, hundreds of resorts are'spen'ding untold millions trying to attract these same people to th'eir locations. marketing~~,programs o~'f' t~he'~ Ne~~w Yo'rk~ Coonve~n'tion' and~ V3lsitors Bureau. However, o'u'rs is an extremely c'ompe~t~itive~ in~d~ustr~y~ and t~hisproposed legislation would handicap our sales efforts. More than one h'undred cities througho'ut the nation. Inisuchia competitive atmosphere, legislation which would prohibit smoking in public p'lac'es,, such as, restau'rants„ hotel lobbies, arenas, audi'toiriv'ms, Madison Square Garden, needlessly places New York at a, disadvantage with our competitors who doinot have such restrictions. Undoubtedly, such infringe- ments within our state fly in the face of' the very C g,o East 4z~nd Street, New~~York,~N.~Y:~ r'oon7 ~ •~ 68q,-r3oo'~ r

Nc;w Yo k Convention and'Visitors Bureau, lnc. Charles G'illett President Honorable Tarky J. Lombardi, Jr.. Page 2 April 8,1 19'78 purpo e of'the tourism promotion, program which the New York State Legislature has funded to attract visitor business to our state. Provisi..ons of the legislation requiring the hospitality industry inithe state to act as the arm of the law, by enforcing smoking and no smokking zones are not 'feasible. Owners and managers of facilities would find it impossible toijeopardize customer relations by insisting upon strict compliance. The Department of' Health iin New York City tried to .enforce a resolution of July 1974, restricting smolting to certain•public places, and that effort proved un- successful. To, require an industry which is sensitive tolthe d'~esiresof ' itsg,ueststocontrol social habits is, undesirable and unwarranted. Local managcrs_of hospitality establishments should not be denied the flexibility toiestablish procedures whiich they feel adapt tolthe pireferences of their customers. The New York Convention and Visitors Hureau regards this legislation as impractical, infeasible and un- enforceable and urges the Legislature to considdr th~ese~~ negativ~e~~ raanif ic~at ions~ in assess~ing, this~ p~ro~~- .posed legislation. bcc: . Freston Robert Tisch. .