The private sector is stepping up for tourism

Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. That’s particularly true in difficult times when “business as usual” no longer works.

As our national deficit approaches $22 trillion ($180,000 per taxpayer) and state and local governments deal with skyrocketing costs for health care, pensions, education and public safety, we will have to do things differently, or, in some instances, not at all. One way is to develop private-public partnerships to share costs and coordinate programs.

Take tourism, for example.

Over the years, our funding of state tourism promotion has been token at best, but...