Travel and Tourism Research - Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies - page 414

Encourage the professional development of travel and tourism researchers, marketers, planners,
and managers.

&

Facilitate global cooperation between producers and users of travel and tourism research.

&

Promote and disseminate high-quality, credible, and effective research to the travel and tourism
industry.

&

Foster the development of travel and tourism research and related curricula in institutions of higher
education.

&

Advocate the effective use of research in the decision-making process of professionals in the travel
and tourism industry.

&

TTRA has chapters in Asia, Europe, Canada, and the United States in the central states, Florida,
Texas, the western states, the Southeast, Hawaii, and a student chapter at California University of
Pennsylvania. TTRA contributes to the publication of the Journal of Travel Research, the TTRA
newsletter, annual conference proceedings, and other special publications. TTRA has an extensive
awards program that recognizes excellence and encourages professional development of researchers,
marketers, planners, and students involved in the travel and tourism industry. Those wishing further
information on TTRA should visit the association ' s Web site at www.ttra.com .

SUMMARY

Travel research provides the information base for effective decision making by tourism managers.
Availability of adequate facts allows managers to develop policy, plan, operate, and control more
ef ciently and decreases risk in the decision-making process.
Useful travel research depends on precise identi cation of the problem; a thorough situation
analysis supplemented by an informal investigation of the problem; careful research design; and
meticulous collection, tabulation, and analysis of the data. The researcher must also present a
readable written report with appropriate recommendations for action and then follow up to ensure
that the recommendations are actually implemented so that results can be achieved.
The research itself may use secondary (preexisting) data or require collection of primary data
(original research). Primary data may be gathered by survey — Internet, personal interview, mail, or

telephone surveys or by the observational and experimental methods. Numerous organizations and

agencies use and conduct travel research. The Travel and Tourism Research Association is the world

—

' s

largest tourism research organization.

E KEY CONCEPTS E

research methods
decision making
experimental method
feasibility studies
focus groups

information surveys
measurement
observational method
primary data
secondary data

sources of data
Travel and Tourism Research
Association
travel research
travel research process

E INTERNET EXERCISES E

The Internet sites mentioned in this chapter plus some
selected additional sites are listed for your convenience on
the companion Web site for this topic,
www.wiley.com/college/goeldner .

ACTIVITY 1
Site Name: National Laboratory for Tourism and

eCommerce
URL:

www.tourism.temple.edu