Mandala Research Plays Role in National Research Task Force

Washington, DC, August 03, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Laura Mandala, managing director of Mandala Research, LLC, and member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (TTAB), is co-chairing a TTAB research task force to review the options for conducting and funding the Office of Travel & Tourism Industries (OTTI) Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT,) the travel industry's only source of detailed data on international visitors to the U.S.

The TTAB advises the Secretary of Commerce on government policies and programs that impact the U.S. travel and tourism industry and serves as a forum for discussing and proposing solutions to industry-related challenges.

Participants on the research task force, assembled by the TTAB, represent state and destination marketing organizations, research vendors, academia, other government agencies, and associations. The task force will work toward the following goals: 1) determine the most methodologically sound, efficient, and effective method for collecting the data our industry needs; and 2) identify possible sources of secure and ongoing funding for the study, both public and private. The task force will also review and make recommendations relative to obtaining visitor counts and statistics from the Canadian and Mexican markets.

“This is a unique opportunity to bring together the best minds in travel and tourism research. With the task force’s combined knowledge, experience and industry insights, we look forward to addressing the challenges of funding and collecting reliable research that the industry can trust and use.”

Funding for the 2013 SIAT was not in the budget approved by Congress and is not in the budget that the Senate is set to vote on between now and October. “While industry is lobbying for reinstatement of the survey in the budget for approval by the senate, we want to be prepared with alternative funding methods, if necessary,” said Mandala.

The first meeting of the task force takes place Aug 2, 8:00-11:00 a.m. in Washington D.C. at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Additional meetings are anticipated in the fall.

For more information about travel and tourism data collection, follow these links:

Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI) www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/

Survey of International Air Travelers (SIAT) www.tinet.ita.doc.gov/research/programs/ifs/index.html

Mandala Research offers travel and tourism industry market research products and services for Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, and government agencies.

Contact Laura Mandala for more information on the TTABresearch task force, at Laura@mandalaresearch.com