Jonathan M. Tisch: A Driving Force for Tourism

Hospitality runs in his blood, literally. As heir to the Tisch family legacy and chairman of the board and CEO of Loews Hotels, there is no better advocate for the NYU-SCPS Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management than Jonathan M. Tisch. He has been an indefatigable chair of the Center’s prestigious International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference for 14 years and an ardent booster of New York itself. In February, Tisch stepped down as chairman of NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing and tourism arm. He serves on the U.S. Travel and Tourism advisory board and plans to focus on his role as chair of the Travel Business Roundtable, an entity of travel industry CEOs and senior executives established in 1995 to create a united voice for the travel industry in Washington, D.C.

Early this year, in a speech before the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., Tisch lauded a recent proposal to create a cabinet-level tourism office and announced plans for a presidential candidate forum this year on industry-wide issues. He maintains that, no matter who wins the White House in November, a cabinet post focused on tourism is not only vital but long overdue as the U.S. competes globally for tourist dollars. Although few candidates are more experienced or passionate on the subject, Tisch demurs when asked if he could see himself in this role. “No one lobbies for a cabinet post,” he says.

In the interim, Tisch will continue his multidimensional existence as head of Loews Hotels, co-owner of the Super Bowl-winning New York Giants, and prolific author. He has penned two books, The Power of We: Succeeding Through Partnerships (Wiley 2004) and Chocolates on the Pillow Aren’t Enough: Reinventing the Customer Experience (Wiley 2007). He also plans to continue his recent CNBC television series, Beyond the Boardroom With Jonathan Tisch, which showcases his one-on-one discussions with leading CEOs such as the legendary Clive Davis of the RCA Music Group, Howard Schultz of Starbucks, Ken Chenault of American Express, and Ann Moore of Time, Inc.