Jerry Tan named to nat’l tourism advisory board

Jerry Tan

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo announced last Friday the appointment of Tan Holdings Corp. president and CEO Jerry Tan to the national U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

Tan joins 31 other individuals nationwide on the TTAB who will advise the Commerce secretary on how government policies and programs affect the travel and tourism industry. They are also expected to offer counsel on current and emerging issues to support sustainable growth of the travel and tourism industry as our nation’s economic engine.

All 32 appointees are considered leaders from businesses and organizations in the domestic travel and tourism industry. They are representatives of state and regional economic development teams, businesses, and organizations.

“Travel and tourism returned with force in 2022 as we opened up our country once again to visitors from around the globe. 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,” said Raimondo.

Aside from Tan, the 31 other appointees are:

• Reggie Aggarwal, founder and CEO of Cvent;
• Balram Bheodari, aviation general manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport;
• Adam Burke, president and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism & Convention board;
• Brian Chesky, cofounder and CEO of AirBnB;
• Julie Coker, president and CEO of the San Diego Tourism Authority;
• Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico;
• Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line;
• Fred Felleman, commissioner at Port of Seattle;
• Liz Fitzsimmons, managing director at Maryland Department of Commerce Office of Tourism and Film;
• Matt Goldberg, president and CEO of Tripadvisor, Inc.;
• Mufi Hannemann, president and CEO of Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association;
• Russ Hedge, president and CEO of Hostelling International USA;
• Bill Hornbuckle, president and CEO of MGM Resorts International;
• Peter Ingram, president and CEO at Hawaiian Airlines;
• Stephanie Jones, founder and CEO of Cultural Heritage Economic Alliance;
• Andrew Leary, director of Sustainable Tourism and Partnerships, Leave No Trace;
• Eric Lipp, founder and executive director of Open Doors Organization;
• Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit Orlando;
• Peter Millones, executive vice president and general counsel at Booking Holdings, Inc.;
• Will Morey, president and CEO of The Morey Organization;
• Tricia Primrose, executive vice president and chief Global Communications & Public Affairs officer at Marriott International;
• Lana Ramos, vice president, and Marketing and Community Relations at Locally Grown Restaurants;
• Carroll Rheem, founder and CEO of iolite group;
• Dan Richards, founder and CEO of The Global Rescue Companies;
• Adam Sacks, president, at Tourism Economics;
• John Sage, president at Accessible Travel Solutions;
• Stephen Scherr, CEO at Hertz Corp.;
• Greg Schulze, senior vice president at Strategic Travel Partners Expedia;
• Monica Smith, president and CEO at Southeast Tourism Society;
• Donald “D” Taylor, president, UNITE HERE; and
• Peter van Berkel, president of Travalco USA, Inc.

TTAB was first chartered in 2003 and has been re-chartered nine times. Past boards have provided advice on a wide range of policies and issues, including travel facilitation, visa policy, infrastructure, aviation security, tourism research, climate and economic sustainability.