[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 99 (Tuesday, May 21, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44634-44635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11081]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Survey of International Air Travelers

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of information collection, request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Commerce, in accordance with the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA), invites the general public and other 
Federal agencies to comment on proposed, and continuing information 
collections, which helps us assess the impact of our information 
collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. The 
purpose of this notice is to allow for 60 days of public comment 
preceding submission of the collection to OMB.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments regarding this proposed 
information collection must be received on or before July 22, 2024.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit written comments by 
mail to Richard Champley, Program Manager, and Contracting Officer 
Representative (COR), ITA, [email protected], (202) 482-4753 
or [email protected]. Please reference OMB Control Number 0625-0227 in the 
subject line of your comments. Do not submit Confidential Business 
Information or otherwise sensitive or protected information.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information or 
specific questions related to collection activities should be directed 
to Richard Champley, Program Manager, and Contracting Officer 
Representative (COR), ITA National Travel & Tourism Office (NTTO). 
Contact information: [email protected] (202) 482-4753).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Abstract

    The ``Survey of International Air Travelers'' (Survey/SIAT) 
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 2022 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

[[Page 44635]]

Commerce assists travel industry enterprises to increase international 
travel and passenger fare exports and imports for the country as well 
as travel on U.S. and foreign 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 (major) 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 in 2016 to better reflect the 
visitor's entry experience into the United States. This was requested 
by the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board to measure 
compliance with U.S. National Goals.
    The 2012 and 2016 revised Survey questionnaire reflect 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; and ethnicity/race. 
Several questions from the pre-existing 1996 questionnaire were 
eliminated to further streamline the survey.
    Changes envisioned are: (1) enhanced testing of the QR code/Mobile 
phone approach to leverage international airlines' growing capability 
of offering international Wi-Fi to its on-board passengers; (2) further 
evaluation of a `short form' version of the paper questionnaire (23 of 
the existing 33 questions) to reduce burden and improve passenger 
response rates when time is limited in the boarding area or in markets 
that tend to be less responsive; (3) evaluation of `incentives' that 
could be utilized to encourage an increased number of passenger 
responses. (4) Recommendations from the United States. Travel & Tourism 
Advisory Board (TTAB).

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 randomly selected, and this approach is described as `cluster 
sampling.' The majority (95%) of the passenger surveys are collected in 
U.S. airport departure gate areas. About 5% of all the passenger 
surveys are collected during flight (on-board) post departure (Canada-
air has been included as part of the program in 2020). U.S. and foreign 
flag airlines that volunteer to participate in the Survey program 
enable the collection in U.S. departure gate areas and on-board 
flights.
    NTTO is planning to change the format to electronic/digital or to 
an equally statistically valid process once compelling results have 
been attained. To date there have been five `e-Survey' tests: The first 
test was in partnership with Global Distribution Systems (GDS); the 
second and third tests were 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; the fourth test used `tablet' devices to capture passenger 
responses in the airport gate area at a major gateway airport; and the 
fifth test again tested passenger PEDs (mobile phone) through use of a 
`QR' code since there have been improvements in Wi-Fi capabilities. The 
latter approach (QR/Mobile) was used to a limited degree during the 
2020-2021 Pandemic period with negligible results due more to passenger 
reluctance to physical contact rather than adverse reaction to the 
collection method. Other tests are planned in the foreseeable future 
based on recommendations from the United States Travel and Tourism 
Advisory Board (TTAB).

III. Data

    OMB Control Number: 0625-0227.
    Form Number(s): None.
    Type of Review: Regular submission, Extension of current 
information collection.
    Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Estimated Number of Respondents: 300,000 due to mandate of the U.S. 
Travel Promotion Act of 2009 which requires `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: $0.00.
    Respondent's Obligation: Voluntary.
    Legal Authority: Public Law 111-145.

IV. Request for Comments

    We are soliciting public comments to permit the Department/Bureau 
to: (a) Evaluate whether the proposed information collection is 
necessary for the proper functions of the Department, including whether 
the information will have practical utility; (b) Evaluate the accuracy 
of our estimate of the time and cost burden for this proposed 
collection, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used; (c) Evaluate ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (d) Minimize the reporting burden 
on those who are to respond, including the use of automated collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology.
    Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of 
public record. We will include or summarize each comment in our request 
to OMB to approve this Information Collection Request (ICR). Before 
including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your 
entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your 
comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public 
review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Sheleen Dumas,
Department PRA Clearance Officer, Office of the Under Secretary for 
Economic Affairs, Commerce Department.
[FR Doc. 2024-11081 Filed 5-20-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DR-P