CLEVELAND (Dec. 16, 2020) – David Gilbert, president and CEO of
Destination Cleveland, the destination marketing and management organization for Cuyahoga County, was recently appointed to the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. Gilbert, who also serves as the president and CEO of Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, joins 22 of his industry peers in this role.
The United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which is comprised of up to 32 members appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, serves as the counseling body to the Secretary on topics related to the travel and tourism industry. The Board advises the Secretary on government policies and programs that affect the U.S. travel and tourism industry, provides counsel on current and emerging issues, and serves a forum for discussing and proposing solutions to industry-related challenges.
“It is an honor to join this notable group of industry representatives as an advisor,” said Gilbert. “While 2020 has been devastating to the travel and tourism industry, this appointment speaks to the steady and continuous growth of Cleveland’s travel and tourism industry over the past 10 years and underscores the value of the industry to the Greater Cleveland area. I look forward to discussions with fellow board members who represent a cross-section of the industry. This is a great opportunity to share our learnings and to gain insight from others to help us return to steady, strong growth in the years ahead.”
Travel and Tourism Advisory Board members represent companies and organizations in the travel and tourism industry from a broad range of products and services, company sizes and geographic locations. Members serve, at the pleasure of the Secretary, typically for a two-year term. The Board was originally chartered in 2003, and because of the Department's need for the ongoing advice from industry representatives, has been re-chartered eight times, most recently in 2019.
###
ABOUT DESTINATION CLEVELAND: Destination Cleveland is Cleveland’s destination marketing and management organization. This private, non-profit organization’s mission is to drive economic impact and stimulate community vitality for Greater Cleveland through leisure and business travel. Cleveland welcomes 19.6 million visitors annually. For more information, visit www.thisiscleveland.com.