New members of the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board were appointed today by Gary Locke, US Commerce Secretary. Locke’s objective in his appointments was to create a more diverse membership with representatives from the private sector. The new members come from the industries of transportation, finance, hotels, restaurants, and travel/tourism firms across the nation.
โThe health and stability of the travel and tourism industry touches all regions and impacts employment and economic strength across the country,โ said Locke. โI look forward to working with the Travel and Tourism Board to develop policies that can help put Americans back to work in this critical sector.โ
The board provides counsel to the secretary on government policies and programs that affect the US travel and tourism industry and provides a forum for discussing and proposing solutions to industry-related concerns. The Department of Commerce will schedule the boardโs inaugural meeting in the coming weeks.
Travel and tourism is one of the nationโs most significant exports, accounting for 2.7 percent of the nationโs GDP and supporting more than eight million jobs. One in every 16 jobs has its roots in the travel and tourism industry.
The most recent board, which ended its term in September 2009, presented recommendations to Secretary Locke at its final meeting, focusing on three key issues: airport congestion, travel facilitation issues, and the economic sustainability of the industry.
The full list of members being appointed and other pertinent information is available http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/TTAB/TTAB_Home.html .
Source: www.pax.travel