NEW YORK CITY-In a call-to-arms style address, Jonathan M. Tisch gave the hospitality industry one piece of advice: build big. During his keynote address at the 34^th Annual NYU Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, the chairman of Manhattan-based Loews Hotels urged the commercial real estate community to take on the challenge of improving the nation’s aging infrastructure and seize the opportunities presented by a boom in global travel.

“Let’s help find the solutions to an infrastructure problem that is too big and too complex for either government or industry to solve on their own,” Tisch said at the event, which attracted approximately 2,200 attendees. “We’re deluding ourselves if we think our industry can thrive if we don’t fix this problem.”

Tisch explained that more than one billion people will travel abroad this year, including an increased number of travelers from China and Brazil. But the biggest challenge, he said, is the state of the country’s congested runways and aging airport terminals and facilities. “We’re on the verge of the greatest boom market in our industry’s history,” he said. “The critical question is: Will the US be able to compete effectively for these travelers?”