[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 38 (Tuesday, February 26, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 10226]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 08-850]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Recruitment Notice for Expressions of Interest From Qualified 
U.S. Travel and Tourism Industry Associations

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Department of Commerce is 
soliciting expressions of interest from U.S. Travel and Tourism 
industry associations with experience and/or core competency in self 
regulation to establish and implement a program to qualify inbound U.S. 
tour operators that meet the requirements of the China National Tourism 
Administration to facilitate packaged group leisure travel established 
by the ``Memorandum of Understanding Between the Government of the 
People's Republic of China and the Government of the United States of 
America to Facilitate Outbound Tourist Group Travel from China to The 
United States.'' The purpose of this program would be to provide 
quality assurance and a means for tour operators qualified under the 
program to be recognized by the China National Tourism Administration 
(CNTA) as able to do business with Chinese travel agencies approved by 
the CNTA to organize and market packaged group leisure travel from 
China to the United States.
    Qualified Associations are those that are broadly representative of 
the U.S. travel and tourism industry, have experience in self 
regulation programs for the purpose of quality assurance (including the 
establishment of standards, systems to accept and adjudicate 
complaints, and procedures for membership revocation for those who do 
not comply), and have/or will have such programs identified as a 
mission of the organization.
    The Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the 
People's Republic of China and the Government of the United States of 
America to Facilitate Outbound Tourist Group Travel from China to the 
United States can be found at http://trade.gov/press/press_releases/2007/china-tourism-mou-english-121107.pdf.
    Deadline: Expressions of interest will be accepted on an ongoing 
basis, and should be directed to Isabel Hill, Deputy Director for 
Planning and Policy, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, U.S. 
Department of Commerce, Room 1003, 14th and Constitution Ave, NW., 
Washington, DC, 20230.
    Interested Parties: Interested parties should send a letter of 
interest describing the interest and background of the organization as 
it relates to this notice. The letter should include a name, title and 
contact number for the individual responsible for communicating with 
the Department of Commerce on this matter.

    Dated: February 20, 2008.
Helen N. Marano,
Director, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries.
[FR Doc. 08-850 Filed 2-21-08; 1:01 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P