Chris Nassetta, president and CEO of Hilton, has been elected national chair of the U.S. Travel Association. Nassetta will lead the association’s executive board and board of delegates, and will work closely with executive leadership to promote travel to and within the United States. Nassetta succeeds Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, whose term as national chair of U.S. Travel has concluded.
"Chris leads one of the most respected global hospitality companies with a tremendous presence across the United States, and we deeply appreciate the perspective he will bring to our collective work on behalf of the travel industry," said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of U.S. Travel, who took his post in September 2022. "We look forward to working with Chris as our national chair and also extend sincere thanks to our outgoing chair Christine Duffy for her outstanding contributions and leadership,” he added.
Earlier this month, Freeman and Nassetta held a press conference outlining their key objectives, including expediting U.S. visa processing and improving the country’s air travel process, as well as other strategies for bolstering travel volume and enhancing the travel experience.
“The U.S. Travel Association has long been an incredible advocate for the travel industry and its significant contributions to our national and global economies,” said Nassetta. “I’m honored to represent our industry in this capacity and collaborate across sectors to advance the many opportunities ahead of us to create seamless, secure and efficient end-to-end travel experiences."
Nassetta joined Hilton more than 16 years ago. He serves on multiple boards and is the immediate past chair of the World Travel & Tourism Council. He will have the opportunity to serve up to two consecutive one-year terms as chair of U.S. Travel.
The Washington, D.C.-based U.S. Travel Association represents the collective interests of more than 1,000 industry organizations, including travel suppliers of all types and sizes, as well as destinations across the United States.