Sam Gilliland, chairman and CEO of Sabre Holdings, has been named to the 15-member U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB), whose members advise Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez on the travel and tourism industry in the United States.
Gilliland has been with Sabre for 20 years, and was named president and CEO in 2003. Prior to this role, he served in several senior leadership positions including president and CEO of Travelocity, and executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Sabre Holdings.
"I am looking forward to aligning Sabre’s tradition of industry advocacy with this group so that jointly we can foster meaningful collaboration among U.S. industry partners in both the public and private sectors and to developing workable policy solutions that advance the strength and competitiveness of our industry as whole,” Gilliland said.
According to the Commerce Department, the U.S. travel and tourism-related industries annually contribute more than $1.3 trillion to the U.S. economy, helping to support more than 8.6 million American jobs. Last year, the United States set new records for total arrivals and spending, welcoming 56 million international travelers who contributed $122 billion to the U.S. economy. Visit tinet.ita.doc.gov.