  b ill ion ▁in ▁loan ▁guarante es ▁to ▁keep ▁them ▁flying . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁tour ism ▁is ▁either ▁the ▁first , ▁second ▁or ▁third ▁largest ▁employ er ▁in ▁ 2 9 ▁states , ▁employ ing ▁ 7 . 3   mill ion ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁to ▁take ▁care ▁of ▁ 1 . 1 9   b ill ion ▁tri ps ▁tour ists ▁took ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 . ▁The ▁U . S . ▁out bound ▁hol iday ▁market ▁is ▁sensitive ▁in ▁the ▁short ▁term , ▁but ▁possibly ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁surprising ▁results ▁from ▁the ▁September ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁attacks ▁was ▁that ▁by ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁it ▁had ▁b ounced ▁back . ▁This ▁quick ▁rev ival ▁was ▁generally ▁quick er ▁than ▁many ▁comment ators ▁had ▁predicted ▁only ▁five ▁months ▁earlier . ▁ ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁economy ▁began ▁to ▁slow ▁significantly ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁mostly ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁real - est ate ▁sl ump , ▁gas ▁prices ▁and ▁related ▁financial ▁problems . ▁Many ▁econom ists ▁believe ▁that ▁the ▁economy ▁entered ▁a ▁re cess ion ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁or ▁early ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Some ▁state ▁bud gets ▁for ▁tour ism ▁market ing ▁have ▁decre ased , ▁such ▁as ▁Connecticut ▁which ▁is ▁facing ▁so aring ▁gas ▁prices . ▁▁ 1 0 0   mill ion