Tobacco Documents Online

Vcw Yur ' Convention and'~'isitors I3urc~iu, Inc: ~ MAY~1 EDYI/ARD IJ KOCH, HorioraryChairman A Executive Committee Chairman PRESTON ROBERT TISCH PRESIDENT- . LOEWSCORPORATION. Ptesid'ent CH'ARLES GILLETT Vice Presidentr MICHAEL BURKE PRESIOENT' MADISON SQUARE GARDEN CENTER FRANK G'. SNANGEM'AN SENIOR,VICE PRESIDENT HILTON HOTELSICORPORATR)N SecretaryR•Trea surer EDNVARD' LOEB VICE..PRESIDENT CUE PUBLISHING COMrANT' FRANCIS'J. BARRY PRESIDENT CIRCLEUNES. JiERRY' BERNS VICEPRESIDENT. "211' CLUB. INC. G: S. EYSSELL REAL ESTATE.CONSULTANTi DANIEL C. HICKEY MARSCHALLASSOCU1TESi INC. ALLAN Ri JOHNSON CHAIRMAN SAKS Fli?H AVENUE LAWRENCE LACHMAIV CHAIRMAN OLOOMINGDALE'S. ROSEtN'ARY'McMU RTRYf' VICE~.PRESIDENT' MCCALL COMPANT' ~ - April S,, 1978 '' Honorable Perry B. Duryea, Jlr. New York State Assembly Albany, New' York 12224 Re: A. 8565-B, AN ACT to amend the public health l'aw, in relation to, protecting thepublic health, com'fortandenviron- ment by prohibiting,smoking, in public places and at meetings of the public except in designated smoking areas. D'ear Assemblyman Duryea: W'e are deeply concerned at the economic penalties which A. 8565-B!,, an act to amend thiepublic,health law by prohibiting smoking in public places and at meetings of the public except in desig,nated' smok'ingareas, w'ouldhaveon the visitor industry. would handicap our sales efforts. . I. Tourismiis now established as NowYork City"s lead- ing growth industry, in large part thanks to the marketing programs of'the New'York Convention and Visitors Bureau. However, ours is an extremely' competitive industry and this proposed legislatiom More thanione hundred cities throughout the nation have organizations similar to the New York Converition and'' Visitors Bureau. These bureaus spend millions of dollars to tell potential visitors the virtues of their particular localles. In addition, hundreds of resorts are spending untold millions trying,to attract these same people to their locations. In such a competitive atmosphere,, legislation which would prohibit smoking in public pl'aces, such as, restaurants, hotel lobbies, arenas,auditoriums,. Madison Square Garden, needlessly places New York at a disadvantage with our competitors who! d'o not have such restrictions. Undoubtedly„ such infringe- ments within our state fly in the face off the very 9oEast ~.zinl'Strcc~iNcwYork, N.Y: i'oo1 7 • 687-1300 687-;c3;oo

l. ~ Ne ,~v\Yorlc Convention andVisitors Burcau, Inc.. Honorable Perry B. Duryea, Jr. P'age 2' Aprii l 3', 1978 purpose of'the tourism promotion program which the New York State Legislature has funded to attract visitor business to oiur state. Provisions of the legislation requi'ring the hospitality industry in the state tolact as the arm of'the law, by enforcing smoking and no smoking zones are not feasible. Chvners and managers~ of' facilities~ would , find'itimp~ossible to j'eopard!izecustomer relations by insisting,upon strict complianbe. The Department of Healthlin New York City tried to enforce a resolution of July 1974, restricting_ smbkiing to certain public places, and that'effort'p!roved un- successful. To require an industry which is sensitive to!the desires of.its~ guests to control social habits is und'esirable and unwarranted. Local managers.of hospitality estab!lishments should not be denied the flexibility to establish procedures which they feel adapt to the p eferences of their customers. The New York Convention and Visitors Bureauiregards this legislation as impractical, infeasible and~un- enforceable and urges the Legislature to consid'er these negative ramifications in assessing this pro- posed legislation,. l Charles GUilett President bcc: Mr. Preston Robert Tisch