June 15 -- The Economic Development Administration, Department of Commerce, invites comments to OMB by July 17, 2023 regarding a new Travel, Tourism, & Outdoor Recreation Data Collection.
To effectively administer and monitor its economic development assistance programs, EDA collects certain information from applications for, and recipients of, EDA investment assistance. Under the EDA American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation, award recipients are required to submit identified program metrics and information to ensure that EDA regional development investments are evidence-based and data-driven, and accountable to participants and the public.
EDA will require electronic survey of the 332 Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation award recipients. Of these, 30 award recipients will also participate in a phone interview. This collection instrument will collect baseline data from awardees that will lay the foundation for a future evaluation of EDA’s investments in travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation. The survey will be conducted once.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328) requires the Commerce Department to produce a report to Congress on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the travel industry. This legislation included language specifying that in writing this report, Commerce should consult with industry officials, including Destination Marketing Organizations and State Travel Directors. Commerce has produced an interim report. In preparing for the final report, which is due in December 2023, Commerce intends asking State Tourism Directors to supply comments on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their state and the current conditions of travel in their state and incorporating their comments into the final report.
The information will be used by EDA to establish baseline data for the Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation award recipients. In conducting this survey, EDA will ensure that the agency’s travel, tourism, and outdoor recreation investments are evidence-based and data-driven, and accountable to participants and the public.
For the survey of impact of COVID-19 on travel industry and current condition of States, Commerce is seeking approval for an e-mail message delivering a link to a web-enabled survey to reduce the burden on the respondents, 50 State Tourism Directors.
The web-enabled survey will consist of questions that assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their state and the current conditions of travel in their state. The data and comments collected will be analyzed and incorporated into the final report to the Congress as required by the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law 117-328).
ARPA Travel, Tourism, & Outdoor Recreation
https://www.eda.gov/funding/programs/american-rescue-plan/travel-tourism
EDA submission to OMB:
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=202306-0610-001 Click IC List for information collection instrument, View Supporting Statement for technical documentation. Submit comments through this webpage.
FRN:
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2023-12768
For AEA members wishing to submit comments, "A Primer on How to Respond to Calls for Comment on Federal Data Collections" is available at
https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=5806