What and how was Brand USA formed?

Brand USA began operations in May 2011.  Originally created as the Corporation for Travel Promotion (and now doing business as Brand USA), the organization was established by the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 as the nation’s first public-private partnership to spearhead a globally coordinated marketing effort to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and communicate U.S. entry policies.

This first-ever effort has put the United States on equal footing with other countries’ tourism efforts and has brought millions of new international visitors to the United States who spend billions of dollars during their travels—thus creating thousands of new American jobs each year.