Roger Dow’s ‘Impressive’ US Travel Legacy Pushes Him To New Role In Hospitality: Travel Weekly

Roger Dow never let a crisis stop him.

The outgoing CEO of the US Travel Association said in 2005 that the travel industry had not fully recovered from the devastation of the 9/11 attacks and that a “Fortress America” ​​mentality at the Department of Homeland Security was stifling inflows.

His tenure over the next 17 years included responding to the Great Recession, the Zika and Ebola outbreaks, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, and finally the Covid-19 pandemic.

And during his tenure as U.S. travel leader, he helped lead the industry to record 10 consecutive years of inbound visits from 2009 to 2019.

“Dow leaves behind an incredible legacy,” said Fred Dixon, CEO of NYC & Company. “Roger’s steadfast leadership during the pandemic was second to none,” he added.

The Dow may be out of power, but the travel industry is not far from facing crises. Instead, he’s headed for the eye of the latest storm.

“The two biggest barriers to the growth of the travel industry are workforce and sustainability issues,” Dow said, noting that his next venture, Future Work Solutions, aims to address the country’s hospitality workforce and create sustainability standards for hotels, according to Forbes. “I see a lot of pressure from companies and agencies falling by the wayside, saying we only register with hotels or hotels or places with sustainability certification.”

Dow said he intended to retire both when he left his job with Marriott International in 2004 and again in 2010 when he completed what should have been a five-year stint at US Travel. Instead, he listened to his friend’s advice.

“Bill Marriott has been one of my mentors in life,” said Dow, the 90-year-old executive chairman of Marriott International. “I’ve talked about retirement three or four times in the last year, and Bill Marriott said, ‘Never retire.’ .

Salesman on Capitol Hill

Dow’s legacy is defined by travel and connections in Washington. The organization helped track relief and recovery for travel companies during the pandemic and later convinced the White House to cancel federal pre-screening tests for inbound air travelers.

“Roger Dow is the reason the US Travel Association has a seat at the table on key issues impacting our industry,” said Elliott Ferguson, CEO of Distinction DC.

Among Dow’s greatest achievements is bringing the industry together.

“When everybody works, that’s when it goes away,” he said, referring to the 13 visa-waiver countries added during his tenure. He points to South Korea to show just how valuable a visa-free country can be: 425,000 South Koreans visited in one year before qualifying for the Visa Waiver Program. A year later it was 800,000.

Dow cited the introduction of trusted traveler programs like TSA PreCheck and Global Entry as “our pressure on the government” and the creation of the nation’s marketing arm, Brand USA. Prior to 2010, when President Barack Obama signed the Brand USA/Travel Promotion Act, there was no ongoing statutory government support for travel and tourism. The act was reauthorized by Congress in 2014 and 2019.

He attributes his successes to the skills he developed at Marriott: sales. He insists he has never been a lobbyist.

“I realized it was just sales, and that’s what I’ve done my whole life,” he said. “He sits down with Mr. or Mrs. Congressman and says, ‘Here’s how many jobs you’re losing, here’s what we’re offering, here’s what we’re going to charge here. Does this change make sense?’

In more than two decades in DC, Dow has learned to approach each relationship differently.

“Obama was someone you could talk to, and he would respond,” Dow said. “When Trump came in, I got a lot of criticism: ‘You’re not good enough at Trump,’ but you have to understand who you’re talking to. I’ve seen people go to the White House, they don’t leave with what they want. And you know, we’re different.” I said we have to act. “

When Penny Pritzker was Obama’s secretary of commerce, Dow approached him and said, “Roger, I’m not going to be here long. What can we do? Where can we make a difference?” she said to him. ‘China,’ I said.

Pritzker helped facilitate five-year visas for students and 10-year visas for tourists. China’s tourist market grew from 300,000 to 3.2 million in 2019, with each visitor spending an average of $7,000. “The math is shocking,” Dow said.

“Education does not fit one size fits all,” he said about political relations. “I have a very, very good relationship with Nancy Pelosi. I have a very good relationship with Kevin McCarthy. And you have to be able to do that.” He also counts both Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri and Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota as friends.

And the members appreciate the results.

“His tireless commitment and passion, standing by the industry through every ups and downs, has given tourism a national identity and voice in DC,” said California CEO Caroline Betta. “He understood the value of relationships and was able to unite competitors to strengthen us as a whole. No one works harder or has a better sense of humor than Roger, and we are fortunate to have his leadership in many important moments.”