Tourism Industries (TI) is offering the Industry an opportunity to invest in the 2001 In-Flight Survey of International Air Travelers.  The investment will be used to improve the current and future year respondent base.  You may directly purchase a block of sample just like you may order a custom report on any of our research data.  Why should you invest in this program?  Because it will help ensure you receive better information from the program.  Your investment is also needed to reverse the decline in the sample size for this program. 

The total sample collected between 1990 and the estimate for 2000 has ranged from a high of over 94,000 total respondents in 1997 to an estimated low of 60-65,000 in 2000.  In 1990, the sample was almost 90,000 surveys of U.S. residents and non-residents.  During this same period of time, travel by overseas and Mexican air travelers who visited the country or U.S. residents who visited overseas and Mexico via air has grown from 35 million in 1990 to an estimated 60 million in 2000.  This means that since 1990, the travel population has grown by over 70%.  Tourism Industries’ In-Flight Survey sample size (or respondent base) has declined by 28-33%.  To keep this program representative, TI needs to survey additional travelers.  

Most of the states and cities within the United States rely upon this program as the only source for international visitation estimates and traveler characteristic data.  TI hopes you will see that your investment in this program will help not only you, it will also benefit the entire industry.  Since  the average number of states visited by overseas travelers is nearly two, the investment in sample can have a “doubling” effect, making it a win-win proposition.

The charges to the industry to purchase additional sample will be at the cost charged to the government.  Tourism Industries is simply calling upon the Industry to capitalize on the investment already made by the federal government and expand it with the additional resources from your own budgets.  This partnership is to enhance the total sample.  At this point, there are far too many destinations that do not receive any visitor estimates.  We are offering this opportunity for the sake of all destinations. 

If you would like to learn more about this opportunity before investing, please contact Ron Erdmann at: (202) 482-4554, or e-mail him at: ron_erdmann@ita.doc.gov. He will be delighted to discuss this opportunity.  We hope the industry will support this effort.  By investing in this program, TI can improve the data for your destination and/or sector.

The Investment Options are:

500 respondents
1,000 respondents
1,500 respondents
2,000 respondent