CA TOURISM PRES & CEO CAROLINE BETETA APPOINTED TO NATIONAL BOARD OF NEW CORP FOR TRAVEL PROMOTION New Corporation to Drive Global Tourism Marketing Efforts for United States
BigTravelNews.info - Sep 13,2010 - California Travel & Tourism Commission (CTTC) President and CEO Caroline Beteta has been tapped by the U.S. Department of Commerce to serve on the Board of Directors of the new Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP). The CTP will steer global marketing and communication programs to promote the United States as a premier travel destination in countries around the world, much like what CTTC does to market international travel to California.
“This is great news for the U.S. travel industry,” said Mike Gallagher, CEO of CityPass and CTTC vice chair. “Caroline Beteta has the right mix of savvy public policy and dynamic international marketing experience to help the Corporation for Travel Promotion hit the ground running.”
The new Corporation was established by the Travel Promotion Act (TPA), which was signed into law by President Obama in March 2010 to create a partnership between the U.S. government and the travel industry, in order to provide a national promotion budget for educating international travelers about U.S. security policies and marketing the country as a vacation option. The CTP will be paid for by international visitor fees and matching funds from private industry, at no cost to U.S. taxpayers.
In 2009, international travelers spent more than $120 billion in the U.S. Prior to passage of TPA, the U.S. had been the only industrialized nation without a nationally coordinated program to attract this lucrative market.
Beteta’s vast experience on the TPA Implementation Task Force and other advocacy efforts, including the annual Travel Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. Western States Tourism Policy Council and the Border Governor’s Conference and Tourism Worktable, were key to her selection for the CTP board. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke selected the board members in consultation with the Departments of State and Homeland Security, and they represent the diversity of the industry – from hospitality and passenger rail to the airline industry and convention and visitors bureaus.
“I’m very excited by the opportunity to help guide the future of our nation’s tourism industry,” Beteta said. “Now that our industry finally has the resources and federal backing to better compete in the global marketplace, it is critical that the new Corporation for Travel Promotion and its board maintain this historic momentum and continue growing the country’s $704 billion travel industry, which supports 8.2 million American jobs, generates tax revenues and promotes cross-cultural understanding and peace.”
As chief executive of one of the top state tourism economies in the country, Beteta oversees a $50 million marketing plan that includes the management of 12 international offices, domestic and international brand campaigns, and numerous international Web sites. She has also managed high-profile trade and promotional activities in various primary, secondary and tertiary global markets – including planning and participating in several major international trade and tourism missions directly on behalf of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
“The Corporation for Travel Promotion will be well-served in having Caroline on its board of directors,” said Roger Dow, President & CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. “Her expertise in international
