Leaders Gather for First Destination CEO Roundtable

Washington, D.C. (USA) – 27 June 2012 – CEOs representing the nation’s top travel destinations gathered in Washington, D.C., June 25-26 for the U.S. Travel Association’s inaugural Destination CEO Roundtable, a forum for CEOs from leading convention and visitors bureaus to address pressing issues facing destinations across the country.

“Our nation’s destinations play a key role in local economies and, in many instances, travel is the leading economic engine for their region,” said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “In gathering top destination leaders, we can craft travel policies that allow our industry – and our nation’s economy – to grow, which in turn adds more American jobs and revenue for local communities.”

Participants heard from experts on reductions in government travel, and transportation and aviation infrastructure issues. Speaking at the meeting were:

Michael P. Huerta, Acting Administrator, Federal Aviation Administration
Ray LaHood, Secretary, Department of Transportation
Michael Murphy, Political Strategist; Political Analyst, NBC News; Contributing Editor, Time
Arne M. Sorenson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marriott International, Inc.
John Wagner, Executive Director, Admissibility and Passenger Programs, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

The meeting is similar to U.S. Travel’s corporate CEO Roundtable, which convenes leaders of top travel businesses and focuses on issues facing the industry’s leading corporations. The Destination CEO Roundtable provides insight into travel-related challenges affecting local communities. Both groups provide insights and leadership that will make U.S. Travel more effective in advancing policies that can benefit the entire travel industry.
In the years ahead, the Destination CEO Roundtable will develop consensus on significant travel-related issues, inform Washington policymakers on policies designed to increase travel, and access leaders at the highest levels of government, business, media and thought leadership. In doing so, destination leaders will have a voice as never before in shaping key travel-related issues.

The event concluded with a tribute event to Gary Sain, the late president and CEO of Visit Orlando.

The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $1.9 trillion in economic output and supports 14.4 million jobs. U.S. Travel’s mission is to increase travel to and within the United States. Visit www.ustravel.org. Follow us on Twitter @ustravel

Media Contact:
Cathy Keefe
(202) 408-2183
ckeefe@ustravel.org