News for the Hospitality Executive |
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April 21, 2010 - The Federal Register Notice inviting expressions of interest to serve on the initial Board of Directors of the Corporation for Travel Promotion was published on April 19, 2010. The Corporation will be governed by a board of directors of eleven members. Applicants should be leaders with knowledge of international travel promotion and marketing and who have expertise and experience in specific sectors of the travel and tourism industry. The purpose of the initial Board is to, among other things, serve as incorporators and establish the Corporation for Travel Promotion. The Travel
Promotion Act of 2009 (TPA) was signed into law on March 4, 2010. The
TPA:
The intent of the bill is to increase international travel to the United States by improving the image of the United States around the world, thereby creating jobs and stimulating economic growth. An independent analysis by Oxford Economics found that the implementation of the TPA could help create more than $4 billion in consumer spending annually and generate 40,000 new U.S. jobs. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the program will reduce the federal budget deficit by $425 million in the next 10 years. Selection
Criteria
Thus, in accordance with the TPA, the Department of Commerce will be selecting individuals with the appropriate expertise and experience from specific sectors of the travel and tourism industry to serve on the Board as follows: A.
1 shall have appropriate expertise
and experience in the hotel accommodations sector;
B. 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the restaurant sector; C. 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the small business or retail sector or in associations representing that sector; D. 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the travel distribution services sector; E. 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the attractions or recreations sector; F. 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience as officials of a city convention and visitors’ bureau; G. 2 shall have appropriate expertise and experience as officials of a State tourism office; H. 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the passenger air sector; I. 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in immigration law and policy, including visa requirements and United States entry procedures; and J. 1 shall have appropriate expertise in the intercity passenger railroad business. To be eligible for Board membership, one must have international travel and tourism marketing experience and must also be a U.S. citizen. In addition, individuals cannot be federally registered lobbyists or registered as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended. Those selected for the initial Board must be able to meet the time and effort commitments of the Board to establish the new Corporation. Priority may be given to individuals with experience as a Chief Executive Officer or President (or comparable level of responsibility) of an organization or entity in the travel and tourism sector in the United States. Board members will serve at the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce (who may remove any member of the Board for good cause). The term of office of each member of the Board will be 3 years, except that, of the members first appointed: (A) 3 shall be appointed for terms of 1 year; (B) 4 shall be appointed for terms of 2 years; and (C) 4 shall be appointed for terms of 3 years. Board members can serve a maximum of two consecutive full three-year terms. Board members
are not considered Federal government employees by virtue of their
service as a
member of the Board and will receive no compensation from the Federal
government for their participation in Board activities. Members
participating
in Board meetings and events will be paid actual travel expenses and
per diem
when away from their usual places of residence.
Individuals who have the requisite expertise and experience in more than one sector can be appointed from only one of those sectors. For more
information on board membership and selection criteria, please see the
Federal
Register Notice - For more information on the economic impact of international visitors to the U.S. travel and tourism industry and other pertinent information, please visit the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries’ website: http://tinet.ita.doc.gov. This service is provided free of charge by: Office of Travel and Tourism Industries. P.S. If you
have any questions or problems please contact [email protected] for
assistance.
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Contact:
Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) |