Obama signs legislation to establish national tourism board

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President Obama signed legislation Thursday creating a national tourism board to step up U.S. advertising campaigns and encourage visitors from overseas to visit the U.S.

The measure establishes a nonprofit Corporation for Travel Promotion, funded partly by a $10 fee levied on most foreign visitors to the U.S.

The 11-member board will be appointed by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. Its mandate is to encourage travel to the U.S. and make clear the fees and documentation needed to enter the country. The Treasury Department will authorize the board to spend up to $10 million for 2010.

-- Bloomberg News