Nearly a year ago, the President signed into law the first federally coordinated campaign to attract visitors to the United States. The Travel Promotion Act (TPA) encourages international travelers to visit our country by creating the Corporation for Travel Promotion, explaining U.S. security policies and promoting the U.S. as a premier travel destination. Since the Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP) plays a significant role in how this campaign unfolds, we asked the Board’s Chair, Stephen Cloobeck, for his thoughts on how this year will unfold.
What is the Board’s role in creating the overall campaign?
Our role is to ensure that the U.S. has a world-class program that greatly increases international travel to the US and delivers high returns to the country in terms of job creation, economic growth and international goodwill.
What impact do you think the Corporation for Travel Promotion will have in the next year? Long term?
The funding for marketing will become available toward the end of 2011, and our commitment is to have a program in place that will deliver strong results for the industry and grow the U.S. economy. Earlier studies have estimated that the program could yield millions of new visitors, $4 billion in new economic stimulus, 40,000 new American jobs and $320 million in new federal tax revenue. The Congressional Budget Office reports that the bill will reduce the deficit by $425 million and increase revenues by $135 million over the next 10 years. Needless to say, all this would be great news for the hospitality industry.
Why is this initiative a good thing for the economy? How will this benefit the country?
By nearly all measures, international travel is one of the fastest growing, most important segments of the global economy. Each overseas visitor to the U.S. spends more than $4,000 on average not only at hotels and attractions, but also at retail, restaurants and other businesses. So it is very important to better position the United States to compete for a greater share of this market.
What is the audience you are targeting with your message? Will there be different messages for different audiences?
Much of the coming year will be focused on building a solid foundation for the program: asking the right questions about where we should market, what the brand positioning should be, and how to use our resources in the most efficient and effective way to drive the highest return for destinations in the U.S. The executive director, whom we hope to have in place by early spring, will be an important driver of this process. So it is too soon to say what audiences we will target and with what message. But we can say that it will be driven by research and expertise, with an eye toward achieving the highest returns on investment.
Do you feel the diversity of tourism-related backgrounds on the Board will translate to the final product?
No question about it. Members of the Board were specifically selected in order to capture the diversity of the industry—both by sector and geography. But the strategy development is not limited to members on the Board. We will also seek out expertise beyond the board itself—and we’re actively seeking input from a variety of sources within the travel industry.
Describe Corporation for Travel Promotion’s mission in 11 words or less.
Capture a greater share of international travel spending for the U.S.
As a member of the Corporation for Travel Promotion, what is your number one priority?
My number one priority is to ensure that the resources invested in this program achieve the greatest possible return for our industry and our country in terms of jobs, economic growth and other benefits.
