Isabel Hill was formerly the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Travel and Tourism and Director of the National Travel and Tourism Office at the U.S. Department of Commerce. She and her team supported and implemented policies and programs that fostered the competitiveness of U.S. travel and tourism industries in collaboration with the private sector and other federal agencies. Her former office produced the national statistics on travel and tourism; acting as the federal liaison to Brand USA, the public private partnership that promotes the U.S. as a travel destination; and represents U.S. travel and tourism policy in bilateral and multilateral fora.

A leader in tourism policy and planning, Ms. Hill led the development of the first National Travel and Tourism Strategy for the United States across 12 federal agencies and with the private sector, reflecting her commitment to public-private engagement and partnerships to advance shared objectives. Ms. Hill led negotiations to open the market for packaged leisure travel from China to the United States and developed the successful economic case for extending reciprocal visa validity between the United States and China from one to ten years. She has played a significant role in the development of policies that advance both economic and national security for the United States. Ms. Hill directed the first International Tourism Promotion Program for the United States. Based on the platform “You’ve Seen the Films, Now Visit the Set”, the award-winning campaign paved the way for the creation of BrandUSA, the nation’s first dedicated tourism marketing organization.

Ms. Hill is the past Chair of the Tourism Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and sits on the Advisory Committee of the World Tourism Forum Lucerne. Ms. Hill has been a frequent speaker and contributor to global discussions on tourism policies and programs, and has regularly engaged in working groups of the World Travel and Tourism Council, and The World Economic Forum.

Prior to federal service, Ms. Hill served in the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and in the South Carolina Department of Commerce. During her State service, she and her team were credited with facilitating more than a billion dollars in investment in large-scale tourism development, sports venues, heritage tourism projects, and filmed entertainment. Ms. Hill is the honored recipient of the 2021 World Travel and Tourism Council Global Champion Award, The International Association of Film Commissioners Crystal Vision Award, and The International Institute of Peace Through Tourism Celebrating Her Award, among others.