Office of travel and tourism; advisory commission

Section 13H. There shall be an advisory commission on travel and tourism to the partnership to develop budget recommendations and marketing strategies for the promotion of travel and tourism to the commonwealth. The executive director of travel and tourism shall convene the advisory commission quarterly. The advisory commission shall annually report its recommendations to the partnership not later than November 1. The advisory commission shall annually file its recommendations with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives not later than November 1. The membership of the commission shall annually elect a chairperson. The advisory commission shall have 30 members: 1 representative from each of the following organizations: the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, the Massachusetts Lodging Association, the Massachusetts Camping Ground Association, the New England Bus Association, the Massachusetts cultural council and the Massachusetts historical commission; 1 representative of a professional sports franchise located in the commonwealth; 2 representatives of the Massachusetts Visitor Industry Council; the executive director or the executive director's designee of each of the following regional tourism councils: 1 Berkshire Strategic Alliance Inc., Southeastern Massachusetts Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Worcester Regional Tourism and Visitors Corporation, the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Mohawk Trail Association, the North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Plymouth County Development Council, Inc., the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, the MetroWest Tourism and Visitor's Bureau, the Johnny Appleseed Trail Association, Inc., the Hampshire County Tourism and Visitor's Bureau; and the following individuals, who shall not serve as chair: the commissioner of conservation and recreation or the commissioner's designee, the administrator for highways within the Massachusetts Department of Transportation or the administrator's designee, the Massachusetts state coordinator of the United States National Park Service and the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on tourism, arts and cultural development. Members of this commission shall receive no compensation for their services, but each member shall be reimbursed the member's necessary expenses incurred while engaged in the performance of the member's duties. This commission shall annually, not later than November 1, make a report to the executive director and the secretary of economic development, and may make such special reports as the commission or the executive director of tourism may deem desirable.