WASHINGTON -- The Commerce Department established a 15-member U.S.
Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board. It will make
recommendations to the commerce secretary, who is developing a $50
million marketing and promotional campaign to encourage inbound
tourism to the U.S.
Members of the board include Jonathan Tisch, chairman of the
Travel Business Roundtable and chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels;
Jonathan Linen, vice chairman of American Express; William Marriott
Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott Hotels; Henry Silverman,
president and CEO of Cendant; James Rasulo, president of Walt
Disney Parks and Resorts; Barry Sternlicht, chairman and CEO of
Starwood Hotels and Resorts; Glenn Tilton, chairman and CEO of
United; Robert Taubman, chairman and CEO of The Taubman Company;
Noel Irwin Hentschel, chairman and CEO of American Tours
International; Manuel Cortez, chairman and CEO of Las Vegas
Convention & Visitors Bureau; Manny Stamatakis, board member of
the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau; Charles Gargano,
chairman and CEO of Empire State Development Corp.; William Hyde
Jr., president and CEO of Ruth's Chris Steak House; Jeremy Jacobs,
chairman and CEO of Delaware North; and Chris Von Imhof of the
Alaska International Airport Tourism Marketing Council.
The travel industry has long lobbied the government to follow
other countries and establish a campaign to promote inbound
tourism.
"Although travel and tourism is one of very few industries that
creates a multibillion dollar trade surplus for our country, the
U.S. continues to lose market share, making us the
third-most-visited destination in the world behind France and
Spain," said Tisch. "Countries around the world already spent
hundreds of millions of dollars to attract visitors and now we
finally have the means to promote the number one brand in the world
-- the U.S.A."
To contact reporter Michael Milligan, send e-mail to [email protected].