Dallas, TX – (March 31, 2014) – Freeman, the leading global partner for integrated marketing solutions for live engagements, is pleased to announce that Chairman Donald S. Freeman, Jr. has been appointed to the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker announced the appointment of 32 members to the Board, which serves as the advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States. Its members represent a broad cross-section of the industry, including transportation services, financial services, and hotels and restaurants, as well as a mix of other small and large firms from across the country.
“The Commerce Department is committed to expanding U.S. exports in the travel and tourism sector, which supports millions of jobs and is a major contributor to our economic recovery,” said Secretary Pritzker. “The Travel and Tourism Advisory Board is a critical public-private partnership that helps drive growth in the travel and tourism industry. I look forward to working with the new Board members to continue our efforts of making America a more attractive and accessible destination.”
The Board provides advice that helps the government prioritize the travel and tourism policies that will contribute to growth, including enhanced visa issuance and travel facilitation, increased investment in transportation infrastructure, and research for decision-making. Government agencies that are part of the Tourism Policy Council, including the Departments of State, Homeland Security, Transportation, Interior, and others, have considered the Board’s advice as they have worked to make progress on these issues. The Board also provided input into the National Travel and Tourism Strategy, and its continued efforts will play an important role in reaching the Strategy’s goal of attracting 100 million international visitors to the United States by 2021.
“It is an honor to be selected as a member of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board,” said Mr. Freeman. “I look forward to working with the board to promote the importance of this critical sector to our country’s economy, especially as it relates to the live events industry.”
Since becoming Chairman of Freeman in 1977, Mr. Freeman has been recognized by every major industry-related professional organization for his dedication and commitment to promoting the development and growth of the events and exposition industry. In 1993, Mr. Freeman was inducted into the Convention Industry Council’s Hall of Leaders. He was also inducted into the U.S. Travel Hall of Leaders in 2011.
The full list of members and other information about the Board is available at http://www.trade.gov/ttab.
About the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board
The United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (Board) serves as the advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce, Penny Pritzker, on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States. The Board advises the Secretary 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.
The past Board provided valuable advice on a wide area of policy areas impacting the travel and tourism industry, including visa policy, customer service, infrastructure, small business, communications, research and data, and public-private private partnerships. The Board provided advice on the National Travel and Tourism Strategy (Strategy) to the Department of Commerce, and, through the Department to the interagency Tourism Policy Council, informing the development of the Strategy.
The Board is comprised of up to thirty-two members appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. Members represent companies and organizations in the travel and tourism industry from a broad range of products and services, company sizes and geographic locations. Members serve, at the pleasure of the Secretary, typically for a two-year term. The Board was originally chartered in 2003, and because of the Department’s need for the ongoing advice from industry representatives, has been re-chartered four times, most recently in September 2013.
Past Boards have presented Secretaries of Commerce withadvice on a wide range of policies and issues facing the travel and tourism including travel facilitation, visa policy, infrastructure, aviation security, research, energy policy, economic sustainability and the need for a coordinated governmental strategy on travel and tourism.
The Assistant Secretary of Industry & Analysis serves as the Board’s Executive Director. The Office of Advisory Committees & Industry Outreach serves as the Executive Secretariat for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. The Executive Secretariat can be reached at (202) 482-4501 or U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 4043, Washington, DC, 20230.
Additional information on the U.S. travel and tourism industry can be found on the website for the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, http://travel.trade.gov.
About Freeman
Founded in 1927, Freeman is the leading global partner for integrated experiential marketing solutions for live engagements including expositions, conventions, corporate events and exhibits. Headquartered in Dallas, with over 70 offices in North America and the U.K., Freeman produces more than 4,300 expositions annually, including 135 of the 250 largest U.S. trade shows, and 11,000 other events worldwide. Customer-driven, Freeman offers a total package of solutions, with a scope of products and services unmatched by the competition. An employee-owned company, Freeman places an emphasis on respect for people and providing unparalleled customer service. Freeman has received numerous trade show industry awards for excellence in leadership, creative design, community service, innovation and customer-driven partnerships. For more information, visit www.freeman.com.
