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News for the Hospitality Executive |
| January 19, 2012
- Today U.S. Secretary of Commerce John Bryson will conduct a swearing
in
ceremony and meet with the 32 newly appointed members of the U.S.
Travel and
Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB). Secretary Bryson's discussion with the
Board
will follow the President's announcement of a National Travel &
Tourism
Strategy and corresponding Executive Order. The Board, first created in
2003 by
then Commerce Secretary Donald Evans, plays a key role in terms of
providing
stakeholder feedback on such strategy. "This Board represents the eyes and ears of our nation's travel and tourism industry and I am committed to working with each of the esteemed members to bring more visitors to the United States," Bryson said. "I look forward to putting ideas into action, and to helping bolster job creation in this critical economic sector, which already supports more than 7.5 million jobs throughout the country." Travel and tourism is a $1.1 trillion sector of the U.S. economy or nearly three percent of Gross Domestic Product. Critical to the nation's overall economic health, the travel and tourism industry is one of the top employers for more than half of the U.S. states and territories. The U.S. travel and tourism industry is on pace for a record-setting year. Through November 2011, international visitors spent an estimated $139.4 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services year to date, an increase of 13 percent compared to the same period in 2010. The United States recorded a $38.4 billion trade surplus for travel and tourism through November 2011. The previous Board delivered significant policy recommendations regarding travel facilitation, travel promotion, and data and research, some of which played a role in today's Executive Order announcement. For example, the previous Board made important recommendations regarding visa facilitation, which have been incorporated into the President's strategy. The Board consists of up to 32 members (full list below) that advise the Secretary of Commerce on government policies and programs that affect the U.S. travel and tourism industry, offers counsel on current and emerging issues, and provides a forum for discussing and proposing solutions to industry-related problems. Members represent companies and organizations in the travel and tourism industry from a broad range of products and services, company sizes and geographic locations. More than half of the newly appointed members are serving for the first time as advisors on the Board. 2012-2014 United States Travel and
Tourism Advisory Board
Ex Officio Members
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| Contact: CONTACT OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS 202-482-4883 U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 1003 Washington, DC 20230 (202) 482-3809 Website: www.tinet.ita.doc.gov Email: [email protected] |