AH&LA Well-Represented on United States Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board

(Washington, DC) – After months of working with the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and other industry leaders, the U.S. Department of Commerce today announced the members of the much-anticipated United States Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board.

In keeping with AH&LA’s request that the lodging industry be well-represented on the Advisory Board, the Department of Commerce selected four top lodging industry executives – all of whom are members of AH&LA – to serve on the fifteen-member Advisory Board: former AH&LA Chairman Jonathan Tisch, who is the current chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels and chairman of NYC & Company, through which he will serve as vice chair of the New York City Host Committee for the 2004 Republican National Convention; J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International, Inc.; Henry Silverman, chairman, president, and CEO of Cendant Corporation; and Barry Sternlicht, chairman and CEO of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (Find a complete list of U.S. Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board members below.)

“The executives chosen to serve on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Promotion Advisory Board should be commended for their willingness to serve and to share their expertise,” noted Jack Connors, AH&LA’s executive vice president for public policy. “Their valuable guidance and vision will help the Department of Commerce increase travel and tourism to the United States, giving our nation’s economy and our industry a boost.”

The travel and tourism industry generates approximately 17 million jobs in the U.S. It has been estimated that increasing travel to the United States by just one percent could result in an additional $910 million in revenues for our nation's economy, $138 million in new federal, state, and local tax revenues, and the creation of nearly 13,000 new jobs.

The $50 million in travel promotion funds and the Advisory Board were established earlier this year when Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), in conjunction with AH&LA’s lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill, worked to secure these funds in legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by the President.

"Senator Ted Stevens' commitment to securing funding for travel promotion will benefit the lodging industry and the entire country by encouraging growth and recovery in this important sector of the economy. We greatly appreciate his leadership on this issue," said Connors.

AH&LA will continue working with the Department of Commerce and Congress to use this opportunity to begin a sustained effort to encourage travel to and within the United States. The Advisory Board’s first meeting is scheduled to take place September 8, 2003, in New York City.

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Members of the United States Department of Commerce Travel & Tourism Promotion Advisory Board

Manuel Cortez
President & CEO
Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority
Las Vegas, Nevada

Charles A. Gargano
Chairman & CEO
Empire State Development Corp.
New York, New York

Noel Irwin Hentschel
Chairman & CEO
American Tours International
Los Angeles, California

William L. Hyde, Jr.
President & CEO
Ruth's Chris Steak House
Metairie, Louisiana

Jonathan Linen
Vice Chairman
American Express
New York, New York

Jeremy Jacobs
Chairman & CEO
Delaware North Co.
Buffalo, New York

J. W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr.
Chairman & CEO
Marriott International, Inc.
Washington, DC

James A. Rasulo
President
Walt Disney Park & Resorts
Burbank, California



Henry Silverman
President & CEO
Cendant Corp.
New York, New York

Manny Stamatakis
Board Member
Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Barry Sternlicht
Chairman & CEO
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
White Plains, New York

Robert Taubman
Chairman & CEO
The Taubman Company
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Glenn Tilton
Chairman & CEO
United Airlines
Chicago, Illinois

Jonathan Tisch
Chairman & CEO
Loews Hotels
New York, NY

Chris von Imhof
President
Alaska International Airport Tourism Marketing Council
Girdwood, Alaska


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