The Office of Travel and Tourism Industries shall expand and continue its research and development activities in connection with the promotion of international travel to the United States, including—

(1) expanding access to the official Mexican travel surveys data to provide the States with traveler characteristics and visitation estimates for targeted marketing programs;

(2) expanding the number of inbound air travelers sampled by the Commerce Department’s Survey of International Travelers to reach a 1 percent sample size and revising the design and format of questionnaires to accommodate a new survey instrument, improve response rates to at least double the number of States and cities with reliable international visitor estimates and improve market coverage;

(3) developing estimates of international travel exports (expenditures) on a State-by-State basis to enable each State to compare its comparative position to national totals and other States;

(4) evaluate the success of the Corporation in achieving its objectives and carrying out the purposes of section 2131 of this title; and

(5) research to support the annual reports required by section 2123(d) of this title.

There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce for fiscal years 2010 through 2014 such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

(Pub. L. 87–63, title II, § 203, as added Pub. L. 111–145, § 9(j), formerly § 9(h), Mar. 4, 2010, 124 Stat. 64; renumbered 9(j), Pub. L. 113–235, div. B, title VI, § 606(1), Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2219.)