Last week was National Tourism Week and Visit Lodi! Conference and Visitors Bureau joined thousands of bureaus around the country celebrating the importance of tourism to our local, regional and national economies.

For 12 years, the Downtown Lodi Business Partnership has been drawing thousands of people to the area through various events and promotions.

I was one of scores of Lodians who attended the Downtown Summit at Hutchins Street Square hosted by the city of Lodi.

Eight years ago, as a newcomer to the Lodi community, one of things that stood out about Lodi was its citizen's love of sports. I don't mean televised professional sports. I am talking about community sporting events.

Throughout the world and in most cultures, drinking wine is associated with good fortune and a long life.

Last October, I remember hearing about a lavish corporate retreat that insurance giant AIG held at a posh resort near San Diego. They spent $440,000 on golf, spa treatments, food and cocktails, just weeks after receiving a government bailout of $85 billion.

An avid Fox News viewer, I remember late last summer foregoing my nightly news watch due to the ongoing campaign coverage; it seemed like the campaigning would never end.

A day doesn't pass without much talk about the slowing economy. It seems almost no industry has escaped the downturn in the economy, not even tourism. It is not surprising. After all, tourism is economic development, and travel is mostly a luxury.

I sat in a tourism conference earlier this week in Tucson, Ariz., my mind clicking off the dollars that the conference was bringing to the city of Tucson: 500-plus hotel room nights, fees to rent conference facilities, food and beverage, not to mention gift items and the dollars dropped by the attendee who indulged in spa, golf and sightseeing adventures.