Following the Sept 8 start of the $10 ESTA fee for visitors from visa waiver countries, US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke has announced the Corporation for Travel Promotion’s initial board of 11 directors.

Board of Directors - Corp. for Travel Promotion

Listed below are the Corporation for Travel Promotion’s initial board of directors, appointed by US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke:-

Caroline Beteta, President and CEO, California Travel & Tourism Commission

Stephen Cloobeck, Chairman and CEO, Diamond Resorts International

George Fertitta, CEO, NYC & Company

Daniel Halpern, President and CEO, Jackmont Hospitality, Inc.

Tom Klein, President, Sabre Holdings

David Lim, Chief Marketing Officer, Amtrak

Mark Schwab, Senior Vice President-Alliances, International and Regulatory Affairs

Diane Shober, Tourism Director, State of Wyoming

Al Weiss, President, Worldwide Operations, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

Roy Yamaguchi, Owner and Founder, Roy’s Restaurant

Lynda S. Zengerle, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson LLP

The CTTC’s Caroline Beteta, one of the directors appointed to the new board, said in a statement that “Now that our industry finally has the resources and federal backing to better compete in the global marketplace, it is critical that the new Corporation for Travel Promotion and its board maintain this historic momentum and continue growing the country’s $704 billion travel industry, which supports 8.2 million American jobs, generates tax revenues and promotes cross-cultural understanding and peace.”

Both the ESTA fee and the non-profit Corporation for Travel Promotion were authorized as part of the Travel Promotion Act signed into law by the President in March 2010.

The $10 ESTA fee (plus an administrative fee of $4) will be used to match private sector contributions to fund a $200 million annual marketing program to promote and facilitate international tourism to the United States.

The private sector fundraising is a key component because the Corporation gets matching funds from the federal govt equivalent to whatever they raise from the private sector, upto a maximum of $100 million.

As per projections in an Oxford Economics report, the travel promotion efforts could generate $4 billion in new international consumer spending in the United States annually.

The Corporation’s plan of action is to hire an executive director, develop a global marketing strategy and begin a private sector fundraising effort with a maximum annual target of $100 million, including in kind contributions to facilitate the activities of the Corporation.

Related posts:-
Nuts & Bolts of the Travel Promotion Act
Commerce Secretary Meets with Tourism Advisory Board in New Orleans
$14 ESTA Fee Takes Effect Sept 8