[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 16, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34094-34095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-14590]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Office of the Secretary

[Docket No.: 100611262-0262-01]


Re-Opening of Solicitation Period for the Opportunity To Serve on 
the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Travel Promotion

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On April 19, 2010, the Department of Commerce's Office of the 
Secretary published a notice in the Federal Register (75 FR 20325) 
inviting expressions of interest to serve on the initial Board of 
Directors of the Corporation for Travel Promotion (Board). The April 
19, 2010 notice provided that all information must be received by the 
Office of the Secretary of the Department of Commerce by the close of 
business on May 10, 2010. This notice re-opens the solicitation period 
in order to provide the public with additional opportunity to express 
interest and submit information. The selection criteria contained in 
the April 19, 2010 notice shall continue to apply. The purpose of the 
initial Board is to, among other things, serve as incorporators and 
establish the Corporation for Travel Promotion.
    Interested parties representing the passenger air sector are 
strongly encouraged to consider this opportunity.

DATES: All information must be received by the Office of the Secretary 
at the e-mail or postal address below by close of business (EDT) on 
June 30, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Please submit relevant information via e-mail to 
[email protected] or by mail to John Connor, Office of the Secretary, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 5835, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW., 
Washington, DC 20230.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 34095]]

Background

    The Office of the Secretary is re-opening the period for receiving 
information and expressions of interest to serve on the Board of the 
Corporation for Travel Promotion (Corporation). Although the Department 
has received many applications, the Department re-opens the 
solicitation period to seek a broader applicant pool representative of 
each sector of the travel and tourism industry as described in the 
Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (TPA). The deadline for submitting 
information and expressions of interest is June 30, 2010. Information 
and expressions of interest received after the prior deadline of May 
10, 2010 but before the issuance of this notice will be considered 
timely and will be given full consideration. Interested parties with 
appropriate expertise and experience from the passenger air sector are 
strongly encouraged to consider this opportunity. The selection 
criteria contained in the April 19, 2010 notice continue to apply and 
are republished herein for convenience. Information and expressions of 
interest already received remain under consideration and do not need to 
be resubmitted.
    The Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (TPA) was passed on February 25, 
2010 and signed into law on March 4, 2010. The TPA establishes the 
Corporation, a nonprofit corporation that will communicate United 
States entry policies and otherwise promote leisure, business, and 
scholarly travel to the United States.
    The TPA states that the Corporation shall develop and execute a 
plan to (A) Provide useful information to those interested in traveling 
to the United States; (B) identify and address perceptions regarding 
U.S. entry policies; (C) maximize economic and diplomatic benefits of 
travel to the United States through the use of various promotional 
tools; and (D) ensure that international travel benefits all States and 
the District of Columbia, and identify opportunities to promote tourism 
to rural and urban areas equally, including areas not traditionally 
visited by international travelers.
    The Corporation will be governed by a board of directors of eleven 
members with knowledge of international travel promotion and marketing 
and with appropriate expertise and experience in specific sectors of 
the travel and tourism industry. These members will broadly represent 
various regions of the United States.

Selection Criteria

    The TPA directs the Secretary of Commerce (after consultation with 
the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State) to 
appoint the board of directors for the Corporation for Travel 
Promotion. Thus, in accordance with the TPA, the Department of Commerce 
will be selecting individuals with the appropriate expertise and 
experience from specific sectors of the travel and tourism industry to 
serve on the Board as follows:
    (A) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the hotel 
accommodations sector;
    (B) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the 
restaurant sector;
    (C) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the small 
business or retail sector or in associations representing that sector;
    (D) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the travel 
distribution services sector;
    (E) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the 
attractions or recreations sector;
    (F) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience as officials 
of a city convention and visitors' bureau;
    (G) 2 shall have appropriate expertise and experience as officials 
of a State tourism office;
    (H) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in the 
passenger air sector;
    (I) 1 shall have appropriate expertise and experience in 
immigration law and policy, including visa requirements and United 
States entry procedures; and
    (J) 1 shall have appropriate expertise in the intercity passenger 
railroad business.
    To be eligible for Board membership, one must have international 
travel and tourism marketing experience and must also be a U.S. 
citizen. In addition, individuals cannot be federally registered 
lobbyists or registered as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents 
Registration Act of 1938, as amended.
    Those selected for the initial Board must be able to meet the time 
and effort commitments of the Board to establish the new Corporation. 
Priority may be given to individuals with experience as a Chief 
Executive Officer or President (or comparable level of responsibility) 
of an organization or entity in the travel and tourism sector in the 
United States.
    Board members will serve at the discretion of the Secretary of 
Commerce (who may remove any member of the Board for good cause). The 
term of office of each member of the Board will be 3 years, except 
that, of the members first appointed: (A) 3 shall be appointed for 
terms of 1 year; (B) 4 shall be appointed for terms of 2 years; and (C) 
4 shall be appointed for terms of 3 years. Board members can serve a 
maximum of two consecutive full three-year terms.
    Board members are not considered Federal government employees by 
virtue of their service as a member of the Board and will receive no 
compensation from the Federal government for their participation in 
Board activities. Members participating in Board meetings and events 
will be paid actual travel expenses and per diem when away from their 
usual places of residence.
    To be considered for membership, please provide the following:
    1. Name, title, and personal resume of the individual requesting 
consideration; and
    2. A brief statement of why the person should be considered for 
membership on the Board. This statement should also address the 
individual's relevant international travel and tourism marketing 
experience and indicate clearly the sector or sectors enumerated above 
in which the individual has the requisite expertise and experience. 
Individuals who have the requisite expertise and experience in more 
than one sector can be appointed from only one of those sectors.
    Appointments of members to the Board will be made by the Secretary 
of Commerce.

    Dated: June 11, 2010.
John Connor,
Director, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-14590 Filed 6-14-10; 11:15 am]
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