From the Durant Tourism Economic Development Tax Authority:
Travel and tourism is an integral part of the City of Durant and Bryan County economy, encompassing more than 100 travel businesses and a workforce of 2000-plus.
The unprecedented public health crisis we’re facing right now has ground travel to a halt and put the businesses and workers who rely on visitor spending in peril.
Durant Tourism Economic Development Tax (DTEDT, dba Discover Durant) exists to promote business and leisure travel to visitors around the country and the world, and those visits fuel the local economy and jobs. The travel industry businesses that contribute so much to our community, most of them small businesses, simply cannot weather this storm on their own.
Our broader industry has called on Washington to establish a fund to keep workers employed, provide emergency liquidity for travel businesses to remain open, and bulk up the Small Business Administration loan program. Congress must act today to ensure the Durant and Bryan County travel industry and its 2000 plus workers can sustain themselves through this painful economic period.
Janet Reed Executive Director Durant Area Chamber of Commerce Trustee, Durant Tourism Economic Development Tax Authority
