U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo announced yesterday the new appointments to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB). A total of 32 leaders were appointed from businesses and organizations in the domestic travel and tourism industry, including Cvent Founder and CEO Reggie Aggarwal.
The Advisory Board’s role is to advise the Secretary of Commerce on how government policies and programs impact the travel industry and offer guidance to support the growth of travel and tourism in the US, including advice on topics such as travel facilitation, visa policy, tourism research, climate and economic sustainability.
One of the specific goals identified by U.S. Department of Commerce is to welcome 90 million international visitors by 2027 as tourism remains an economic priority, and the work done this year will help chip away at that target.
It is particularly exciting to see event industry representation on the board — as one of the biggest players in the meetings and events space, Cvent has robust expertise and insights to share, which Aggarwal will have the opportunity to do in this new role. He will be serving on the board for at least the 2023-2024 term.
"Travel and tourism returned with force in 2022 as we opened up our country once again to visitors from around the globe,” said Secretary Raimondo in a statement. “Since day one of the Biden Administration, the Commerce Department has taken decisive actions to support this industry’s recovery. The U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board plays a vital role in providing expert recommendations and industry insight to optimize the American travel experience. I look forward to working with new and returning members.”
The TTAB was first chartered in 2003, and since then has been re-chartered nine times. Other advisory board members for the 2023-2024 term include Balram Bheodari, Aviation General Manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; Brian Chesky, Cofounder and CEO of Airbnb; Christine Duffy, President of Carnival Cruise Line; and Casandra Matej, President and CEO of Visit Orlando; and Stephen Scherr, CEO of Hertz Corporation.