ACTING SECRETARY BLANK APPOINTS FOUR MEMBERS TO THE CORPORATION FOR TRAVEL PROMOTION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank today appointed four travel and tourism industry leaders to serve on the Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP) Board of Directors, including one new member and three reappointments. Established by the Travel Promotion Act (TPA), which was signed into law by President Obama in 2010, the CTP is a non-profit corporation that promotes business, leisure, and scholarly travel to the United States, and helps communicate U.S. entry policies to international audiences. The Corporation for Travel Promotion launched Brand USA earlier this year, an effort to market the United States to visitors from all over the world.
“International visitors to the United States play a critical role in creating jobs here in the U.S., boosting both our regional and national economies,” Blank said. “We are working to meet the President’s goal of doubling travel and tourism exports and achieving the goals developed for the National Travel and Tourism Strategy.  Having this diverse and talented group of industry leaders on the Board will help strengthen our ability to promote the U.S. as a top tourist destination.”
The CTP Board of Directors represents various regions of the United States and each member has expertise and experience in specific sectors of the travel and tourism industry.  The newly appointed and reappointed members include:

• Arne Sorenson, President and CEO, Marriott International, Inc. (new appointment)
• Caroline Beteta, President and CEO, Visit California (reappointment)
• George Fertitta, CEO, NYC & Company (reappointment)
• Roy Yamaguchi, Owner and Chef, Roy’s Restaurants (reappointment)
  

The CTP works to enhance the global competitiveness of a robust travel and tourism industry, which employed 7.5 million Americans in 2011 and is a critical source of export strength. In the first half of 2012 alone, international visitors have spent an estimated $82.2 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services, an increase of 11 percent when compared to the same period last year. President Obama’s National Travel and Tourism Strategy, which was announced earlier this year, aims to increase these numbers with a goal of attracting more than 100 million international tourists per year by 2021, visitors that would spend an estimated $250 billion per year, supporting more jobs and spurring economic growth in communities across the country.