To the editor: State and national economists agree that the leisure and hospitality sector, fueled by tourism, is the hardest hit sector of our economy from the pandemic. As a tour operator in Fairbanks, we just recently reopened our business since having to close it down last March. Similarly, when faced with a 51% loss in revenue back in April, Explore Fairbanks cut staff and reduced salaries for the remaining employees with the objective of continuing its marketing efforts, albeit at a reduced level, to keep the destination in the forefront of travelers. Despite these losses, unseasoned elected members of the Fairbanks City Council recently sought to wrest funding from Explore Fairbanks, an organization already on its knees due to the pandemic.