A law championed by the company may help more foreign tourists visit the U.S.
Mark K. Matthews | Washington Bureau
August 25, 2007
WASHINGTON - Walt Disney Co. spends millions of dollars each year lobbying Congress on issues ranging from travel restrictions to theme-park safety -- and its latest efforts appeared to have paid off.
Earlier this month, President Bush signed into law a broad measure that paves the way for more international travelers to enter the United States without visas, including many South Americans.
The change could be a boon for Central Florida and shows why Disney continues to be the mouse that roars on Capitol Hill.
"The easier we make it to travel to Orlando, the better," said Danielle Courtenay, who does global publicity for the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau. The group has targeted Brazil and Argentina as two countries where it wants to expand tourism.
The bureau recently released figures that about 300,000 South Americans came to Orlando annually from 2003 to 2005. Western Europe, whose travelers often don't need visas, sent about 1.4 million visitors to Orlando in 2006.
That has pushed Disney and the $700 billion U.S. tourism industry to find ways to attract new tourists globally. To promote that goal in Washington, Disney last year joined top travel companies in a coalition called the Discover America Partnership.
The group was central in promoting the visa change, at one point hiring as a consultant Tom Ridge, former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The partnership now wants Congress to help promote U.S. travel in overseas markets.
"Disney has been very active in contributing to this process," said Geoff Freeman, executive director of the Discover America Partnership.
Disney did not return telephone calls for comment.
Bipartisan clout
The tourism alliance is one example of why Disney is so effective on Capitol Hill, said U.S. Rep. Ric Keller, R-Orlando, whose district includes almost 60,000 Disney employees. "They're good because they know the issues cold, and they're good at building coalitions," he said.
Disney, which reported more than $34 billion in revenue last year, also appears to be unfazed by the switch in congressional power last year from Republicans to Democrats. One reason is that Disney's internal lobby shop includes big hitters from both parties.
Keller said he regularly meets with Disney lobbyists Bill Bailey and Richard Bates. Bailey used to work for U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.; Bates is the former executive director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
"They can see me anytime they want," Keller said of Disney lobbyists, citing Disney's role as top employer in his district.
During the past six months, Keller and Disney have allied on a number of issues, including a Keller-sponsored bill that would encourage colleges to reduce online piracy of music and movies on campus computer servers. The bill, however, has gained little traction.
Freeman said his organization also is pushing a plan to promote U.S. travel in foreign markets. It already has attracted three Florida supporters: Republican Sen. Mel Martinez, Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo, and Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala.
So far, Disney has spent more than $2 million on lobbying expenses in 2007, but that's not unusual. The company's internal lobby shop has recorded expenses every six months from $1.6 million to $2.2 million since at least 2003, according to disclosure forms. The forms do not break down how much money was spent on each issue.
Meanwhile, Disney and other theme-park owners, such as SeaWorld owner Anheuser-Busch, continue to fight efforts to give the federal government the power to regulate amusement-park rides, according to the lobbyist-disclosure forms.
They argue that an added bureaucracy won't promote safety, but activists such as Kathy Fackler, who runs the pro-regulation group Saferparks, said the tourism lobby repeatedly has helped block this legislation from moving forward.
"From my end of things, this is a pretty powerful lobby, and I'm a one-woman shop on the West Coast," said Fackler whose now 14-year-old son lost part of a foot at a
Disneyland ride. "The whole industry is opposed, but Disney is the 800-pound gorilla in the room."
