For other federal and state economic initiatives, whether to stimulate the economy or to support some of the diversification in supply chains and repatriation of manufacturing previously discussed, tribes and tribal associations need to emphasize the degree to which boosts to their economic potential disproportionately benefit politically important rural non-tribal economies as well. New economic development on tribal lands can create job growth and economic spin-off in areas surrounding reservations in other industrial sectors in the same way that Indian gaming has boosted primarily rural non- tribal communities. If argued consistently, persistently and in a coordinated manner, it should make a compelling message, especially if it is also done in coordination with surrounding counties and cities. Because of the importance of tourism to tribal economies in terms of gaming and various other business ventures, resumption of tourism will be critical to recovery for tribes. Careful monitoring of local and regional tourism indicators, along with active support for new tourism marketing initiatives embracing post-pandemic operating themes, will enable individual tribes to maximize their own recovery potential and react quickly to unforeseen shifts in either direction. This includes monitoring national driving vacation statistics, eventually air travel statistics, the performance of area lodging, major attraction attendance figures and ongoing restrictions, the resumption of annual festivals and regular sporting events, coordination with area tourism boards and various other steps to make real-time adjustments in planning, staffing and marketing for tribal tourist businesses. We have recommended a wide variety of steps for tribes across their various industry sectors to aid in the recovery of each sector. At the national level, monitoring of domestic and international demand and supply for relevant products and monitoring of pricing trends on commodities markets and through trade industry data will help guide all tribes in the application of various recommendations in this report and their own initiatives. At the local level, significant closings or openings, either from pandemic concerns or resulting economic pressure will determine the degree to which each tribe’s individual businesses will vary in recovery speed and depth from Indian country as a whole. Local and state attitudes, restrictions, and actual case loads will all factor into differences between the experience of each tribe in each sector and national averages for Indian country. Tribes have generally shown caution equal to or greater than that of their surrounding region in their reaction to the pandemic thus far. We believe a similar approach will continue to serve tribal economies well through the remainder of the current crisis and during the recovery period to follow. Most of all, we believe that increased and formalized coordination efforts between tribal associations and individual tribes to promote unity in messaging and posture, wherever possible, will be the key to sustaining tribal economies through the crisis and moving them to new periods of growth after the recovery is complete.
∴ MONITORING FUTURE HEALTH
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