Billing Code: 3510-DR
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
International Trade Administration
Corporation for Travel Promotion Board of Directors
AGENCY: International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce
ACTION: Notice of an opportunity for travel and tourism industry leaders to apply for
membership on the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Travel Promotion (Corporation).
SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce (Department) is currently seeking applications
from travel and tourism leaders from specific industry sectors for membership on the Board of
Directors (Board) of the Corporation (doing business as Brand USA). The purpose of the Board
is to guide the Corporation on matters relating to the promotion of the United States as a travel
destination and communication of travel facilitation issues, among other tasks.
DATES: All applications must be received by the National Travel and Tourism Office by close
of business on Friday, September 6, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Please submit application information by email to CTPBoard@trade.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Curt Cottle, National Travel and Tourism
Office, U.S. Department of Commerce; telephone: 202-482-4601; email: CTPBoard@trade.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (TPA) was signed
into law on March 4, 2010, and was amended in July 2010, December 2014, and again in
December 2019. The TPA established the Corporation as a non-profit corporation charged with
the development and execution of a plan to (A) provide useful information to those interested in
traveling to the United States; (B) identify and address perceptions regarding U.S. entry policies;
(C) maximize economic and diplomatic benefits of travel to the United States through the use of
various promotional tools; (D) ensure that international travel benefits all States, territories of the
United States, and the District of Columbia; (E) identify opportunities to promote tourism to
rural and urban areas equally, including areas not traditionally visited by international travelers;

(F) give priority to countries and populations most likely to travel to the United States; and (G)
promote tourism to the United States through digital media, online platforms, and other
appropriate mediums.
The Corporation is governed by a Board of Directors, consisting of 11 members with knowledge
of international travel promotion or marketing, broadly representing various regions of the
United States. The TPA directs the Secretary of Commerce (after consultation with the Secretary
of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State) to appoint the Board for the Corporation.
At this time, the Department will be selecting four individuals with the appropriate expertise and
experience from specific sectors of the travel and tourism industry to serve on the Board as
follows:
1.

One member having appropriate expertise and experience as a State Tourism
Office representative;

2.

One member having appropriate expertise and experience as a City Convention
and Visitors’ Bureau representative;

3.

One member having appropriate expertise and experience in the Hotel
Accommodations sector; and

4.

One member having appropriate expertise and experience in the Restaurant
sector.

To be eligible for Board membership, individuals must have international travel and tourism
marketing experience, and be a current or former chief executive officer, chief financial officer,
or chief marketing officer or have held an equivalent management position. Additional
consideration will be given to individuals who have experience working in U.S. multinational
entities with marketing budgets, and/or who are audit committee financial experts as defined by
the Securities and Exchange Commission (in accordance with 15 U.S.C. 7265). Individuals must

be U.S. citizens and, in addition, cannot be federally registered lobbyists or registered as a
foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended.
Members of the Board are selected, in accordance with applicable Department guidelines and
after consultation with the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, based on their ability to
carry out the objectives of the Board and as set forth above. The diverse membership of the
Board assures perspectives reflecting the breadth of the Board’s responsibilities and, where
possible, the Department will also consider the ethnic, racial, and gender diversity and various
abilities of the United States population.
Those selected for the Board must be able to meet the time and effort commitments of the Board.
Board members serve at the discretion of the Secretary of Commerce (who may remove any
member of the Board for good cause). The terms of office of each member of the Board
appointed by the Secretary shall be three (3) years. Board members can serve a maximum of two
consecutive full three-year terms. Board members are not considered Federal government
employees by virtue of their service as a member of the Board and will receive no compensation
from the Federal government for their participation in Board activities. Members participating in
Board meetings and events may be paid actual travel expenses and per diem by the Corporation
when away from their usual places of residence.
Individuals who want to be considered for appointment to the Board should submit the following
information by the Friday, September 6, 2024, deadline to the email address listed in the
ADDRESSES section above:
1.

Name, title, and personal resume of the individual requesting consideration, including

address, email address, and phone number.
2.

A brief statement of why the person should be considered for appointment to the Board.

This statement should also address the individual’s relevant international travel and tourism
marketing experience and audit committee financial expertise, if any, and indicate clearly the
sector or sectors enumerated above in which the individual has the requisite expertise and

experience. Individuals who have the requisite expertise and experience in more than one sector
can be appointed for only one of those sectors. Appointments of members to the Board will be
made by the Secretary of Commerce.
3.

An affirmative statement that the applicant (1) is a U.S. citizen, (2) is not a federally-

registered lobbyist and further, and (3) is not required to register as a foreign agent under the
Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938, as amended.
4.

A statement acknowledging that the applicant is or is not an audit committee financial

expert as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (in accordance with 15 U.S.C.
7265).
Curtis Cottle,
Senior Policy Advisor/Team Lead for Outreach and Engagement,
National Travel and Tourism Office.
BILLING CODE 3510-DR

[FR Doc. 2024-14083 Filed: 6/26/2024 8:45 am; Publication Date: 6/27/2024]