Roger Dow is the former president and CEO of U.S. Travel Association, the Washington, D.C.-based organization representing all segments of travel in America. U.S. Travel’s mission is to increase travel to and within the United States.

As the leading travel industry advocate, Dow and his team regularly confers with administration and congressional leaders to advance policies that benefit the broader travel industry. His efforts have resulted in major legislative victories, including securing pandemic-related relief for the hard-hit travel industry, establishing and renewing Brand USA, the highly effective national travel and tourism promotion program, and procuring funds to maintain America’s treasured national parks. Dow and U.S. Travel are also leaders of the Meetings Mean Business Coalition which promotes and defends the value of face-to-face business meetings, trade shows, conferences and conventions, as well as the Let’s Go There Coalition, a domestic initiative to inspire future travel following steep declines associated with the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. Travel provides the industry with unrivaled research and insights and holds renowned annual events, such as IPW, the leading international inbound travel trade show, and ESTO, the premier learning and knowledge-sharing forum for destination marketing professionals. Most recently, Dow launched The Dow Report, a regular video series that features conversations with prominent CEOs across the industry about their leadership throughout the pandemic.

For his efforts to unify the travel industry and increase its effectiveness on Capitol Hill, Dow has received multiple honors and awards. Dow has also held seats on several boards, including ASAE, GWSAE, MPI Foundation, PCMA, Tourism Diversity Matters, RE/MAX International, the Travel Institute, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100, among others.

Prior to joining U.S. Travel in 2005, Dow spent 34 years at Marriott International, rising to senior vice president of global and field sales. Dow served in the United States Army with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam, where he received the Bronze Star and other citations. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Seton Hall University and was honored as a Most Distinguished Alumnus in 2012. In addition, he holds an honorary degree from Johnson & Wales University.

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