Choice Hotels CEO Steve Joyce Named Chairman of Travel Association

SILVER SPRING, Md., -- Stephen P. Joyce, president and chief executive officer of Choice Hotels International, Inc. (NYSE: CHH) has been named National Chairman of the U.S. Travel Association, the 1,500-member national organization representing every segment of the travel community.

Joyce, who has served as first vice chair of the non-profit organization, succeeds Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of the California Travel and Tourism Commission for the past two years.

“My chairmanship will be focused on leading U.S. Travel and our industry to new heights of relevance, significance, and impact,” said Joyce. “The concept of travel should be embraced by policymakers, opinion leaders, business leaders and consumers across the country. Our ultimate goal is to create an environment in which policymakers and opinion leaders better appreciate travel's benefits and capabilities; business leaders embrace travel's bottom line value; and individuals understand travel's wide-ranging benefits."

U.S. Travel has made tremendous strides during the past few years in addressing critical issues for the travel community, most notably in successfully pushing the Travel Promotion Act. The act was recently signed into law to create the first-ever U.S. promotion and communications program aimed at travelers around the world. 

"Steve is fully engaged and committed to continuing the momentum we've created during recent years to give our industry a bigger voice with policymakers and the media," said Roger Dow, U.S. Travel's President and CEO.  "Helping our leaders more fully understand why travel matters and the enormous benefit our industry provides to local communities will be a key focus in the years ahead."