Long-Distance Travel and Tourism Data
Travel and Tourism Data for a Stronger US Economy
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT’s) Office of International Transportation and Trade and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics are developing a Long-Distance Travel and Tourism Data Program (TTDP). This effort will provide comprehensive and up-to-date long-distance travel and tourism data to industry members and other practitioners. The current project is a needs assessment to support the development of the TTDP.
If you have questions about the work or are interested in updates, email TTDP@dot.gov.
Through a recent series of forums, the project team engaged stakeholders from the private and public sectors to understand the current landscape and opportunities for improving long-distance datasets, their availability, and their usage.
The team is currently analyzing that feedback to produce a strategic roadmap for creating the TTDP, a plan for improving the American Travel Survey (ATS), and proposals for disseminating program results to industry. The team plans to host additional webinars and discussions with stakeholders to refine these materials.
Nearly 30 years have passed since the USDOT conducted the 1995 American Travel Survey (ATS), which gathered information about the long-distance travel of approximately 80,000 American households.
Now, there is a gap in consistent, nationwide travel and tourism data currently available to support infrastructure investments and policy development.
Congress directed the USDOT to update the 2021 National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan (NTTISP) and the U.S Government Accountability Office (GAO) to assess the USDOT’s ability to carry out travel- and tourism-related functions. GAO found that USDOT needed to develop a plan to identify and obtain the additional data necessary to inform the revision and implementation of the updated NTTISP.
This project responds to the need for more comprehensive and up-to-date long-distance travel and tourism data. Specifically, the project is a needs assessment to support the development of a TTDP that will:
- Modernizing the American Travel Survey (ATS), including updating the survey methodology to incorporate new technologies and use emerging data sources.
- Expanding data collection to include a wide range of travel modes and destinations, including international travel.
- Enhancing data analysis by applying advanced analytical techniques to extract valuable insights from the collected data.
- Disseminating data and findings to policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the public.
By combining data analysis with policy and industry collaboration, the TTDP will support a more efficient and economically competitive travel and tourism sector in the United States.
To stay up to date on this project, you can:
- Periodically revisit this page for updates
- Email your interest to TTDP@dot.gov