[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 32 (Thursday, February 15, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6839-6840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-03132]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Survey of 
International Air Travelers

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort 
to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public 
and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on 
proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: To ensure consideration, written comments must be submitted on 
or before April 16, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental 
Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the internet 
at [email protected]).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument and instructions should 
be directed to Richard Champley or Claudia Wolfe, ITA National Travel & 
Tourism Office (NTTO), 1401 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20230, 
Contact information: [email protected] (202) 482-4753 or 
[email protected] (202) 482-4555.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The ``Survey of International Air Travelers'' (Survey) program, 
administered by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) of the 
International Trade Administration provides source data required to (1) 
estimate international travel and passenger fare exports, imports and 
the trade balance for the United States, (2) comply with the U.S. 
Travel Promotion Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111-145), collect a one percent 
sample of inbound travelers, analyze and report information to 
government and industry stakeholders, and support the increase of U.S. 
exports, (3) to comply with the 1961, 1981, and 1996 travel and tourism 
related acts to collect and publish comprehensive international travel 
and tourism, statistics and other marketing information, and (4) 
support the continuation of the Travel & Tourism Satellite Accounts for 
the United States, which provide the only spending and employment 
figures for the industry, and (5) to support the goals of objectives of 
the National Travel & Tourism Strategy.
    The Survey program contains the core data that is collected, 
analyzed and communicated by NTTO with other government agencies, 
associations and businesses that share the same objective of increasing 
U.S. international travel exports. The Survey assists NTTO in assessing 
the economic impact of international travel on state and local 
economies, providing visitation estimates, key market intelligence, and 
identifying traveler and trip characteristics. The U.S. Department of 
Commerce assists travel industry enterprises to increase international 
travel and passenger fare exports for the country as well as outbound 
travel on U.S. carriers. The Survey program provides the only available 
estimates of nonresident visitation to the states and cities within the 
United States, as well as U.S. resident travel abroad.
    A revised survey instrument (questionnaire) (English version plus 
its translations into eleven foreign languages) was implemented in 
2012. It reflects input from over 70 respondents, including: Travel 
Industry (airlines, travel associations, destinations, lodging); 
Consultants; Financial Firms; Educational Institutions; and other U.S. 
Government Agencies. A minor (`non-substantive') change was implemented

[[Page 6840]]

in 2016 to better reflect the visitor's entry experience into the U.S. 
This was requested by the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and 
Tourism Advisory Board to measure compliance with U.S. National Goals.
    The revised Survey questionnaire reflects changes in various 
questions relating to: Trip purpose; Payment methods; Booking/
Information sources; additional package components, health care/
vaccinations, travel insurance information, additional transportation 
utilized, Assessment of the visitor's entry and overall experience; and 
intentions for further travel to the United States; Ethnicity/race. 
Several questions from the pre-existing 1996 questionnaire were 
eliminated to further streamline the survey.

II. Method of Collection

    The survey instrument/questionnaire (`Survey of International Air 
Travelers', a/k/a SIAT) continues to be in paper format and is self-
administered by the passenger who volunteers to take the survey, either 
while in the departure gate area or on-board the flight. The flights 
are selected randomly and this approach is described as `cluster 
sampling.' The majority (90%) of the passenger surveys are collected in 
U.S. airport departure gate areas. About 10% of all the passenger 
surveys are collected during flight (on-board) post departure (Canada 
is not part of the program). U.S. and foreign flag airlines that 
volunteer to participate in the Survey program enable the collection 
either in U.S. departure gate areas or on-board flights.
    NTTO is planning to change the format to electronic or to an 
equally statistically valid process once compelling results have been 
attained. To date there have been four `e-Survey' tests: The first test 
in partnership with Global Distribution Systems (GDS), the second and 
third tests with major airlines in their respective boarding areas to 
leverage passenger's personal electronic devices (PED) and Wi-Fi 
capabilities in the airports and on-board certain flights, and the 
fourth test used `tablet' devices to capture passenger responses in the 
airport gate areas. Other tests are planned in the foreseeable future 
based on the results of NTTO's recent request for information as 
preparation for the next contract cycle.

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0625-0227.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission [extension of a current 
information collection].
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 300,000 due to mandate of the 
Travel Promotion Act of 2009 which requires a `one percent' sample of 
overseas arrivals.
    Estimated Time per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Total Annual Burden Hours: 75,000.
    Estimated Total Annual Cost to Public: $0.

IV. Request for Comments

    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden 
(including hours and cost) of the proposed collection of information; 
(c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the 
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for OMB approval of this information 
collection; they also will become a matter of public record.

Sheleen Dumas,
Departmental Lead PRA Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2018-03132 Filed 2-14-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P