Tobacco Documents Online

• \letsYork Convention andVisixors Bureau, Inc: MAYOR EDWARD IL KOCH. Honorary'Chalrman Executive'Committes Chairman PRESTON ROBERT TISCH PRESIDENT LOEWS CORPORATION I Presldent CHARLES GILLETT Vice Presidents MICHAEL BURKE PRESIDENT MADISON SQUARE OARDEN ICENTER I FRANK G. WANGEMAN SENlOR VICE. PRESIDENT H ILTON HOTELS. CORPORATION Secretary•Treasurter EDWARD LOEB' Y1CE'.PRESIDE!Nil' CUE PUBLISHING ICOMPANY FRANCISJ. BARRY' PRESIDENT CIRCLE LINES JERRY BERNS YACE PRESIDENT "2'1 ° CLUB,, I NC . G. S: EYSSELL REAL ESTUITE CONSULTANT DANdELC. HICKEY' MARSCHALL ASSOCIATES, . INC. ALLAN R: JOHNSON CHAIRMAN SAKS'FIFTH AVENUE LAWRENCE LACHWIAN CHA7RMAN BLOOMINODkLE'S. ROSEMARY 7WcNA'URTRY' -YICE'PRESIDENT MCC/aLL COMPANY 9o 11ast 42nd Street, NcNv York, N.Y. 10017, . 6g7_13o0, April 3, 1978 The Honorable Stanley Steingut Speaker, The Assembly The State'Cap'itol • Albany, New York 12234 Re: A. 8565-B, AN ACT' tola end the public health law, in' relatioin toiproitecting the public health, comfort and' environ- ment by prohibiting smoking in public places and at meetings of the public except in designated smoking areas. Dea!r bir. . Speaker : We are'deeply concerned at the economic penalties which A. 8565-B, an act to amiend the public health la:w~by prohibiting'smokinginipubilic places and at meetings of the public except in designated smoking areas„ would have on the visitor industry. Tourism is now established as New York City''s liea'd- ing growth industry, in large part ihanks to the marketing programs of the New York Convention' and Visito!rs Bureau. However, ours is an extremely competitive industry and'this proposed legislation would handicap our sa7les efforts. More than one hundred cities throughout the nation' have organizations similar to the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau. These bulreaus spend millions of dollars toltell potential visitors the virtu~es, of'their particular locales. In addition, hund>reds of resorts are spending,untoldimillions'trying to attract these same people to their locatio'ns.. In such a competitive atmosphere, legislation which would prohibit smoking,in public places„ such as„ restaurants, hotel lobbies, arenas, auditoriums', Mad'isoniSquare Garden, needlessly places New York at a disadvantage with our competitors who'doinot have su'ch restrictions. Undbu'bted'ly, such infringe- ments within our state fly in the face o'f' the very

Nccw York Convention andWisitors Bureau, Inc. TheHonorable Stanley Steingut Page 2' Ap.ri 1 3, 1978, purpose o.f the tourism promotioniprogram 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. Owners and managers of facilities would find it impossible to ,jeopardize customer relations by insisting uponistrict compliance. The Department of' Health i'n New York City tried_to enforce a resolution of July 1974, restricting smoking to certain public places, and'that effort proved un- successful. To require an industry whichiis sensitive to the desires of its guests tol control social habits: iisundesirableand unwarranted. Local managers of hospitality establishments should not b~e denied the flexibility to establish procedures whichithe y feel. adapt to the preferences olf their customers. The N'ew York Convention and Visitors Bureau regard's- this legislation as impractical, infeasible and un-~ enforceable and urges the Legislature to consider thesenegativeramific~ations in assessing this pro- posed legislation. •m Charles Gillett President bec: /Mr. Preston Robert Tisch