The office of Tourism Analysis operates as a unit of the College of Charleston's Department of Hospitality and Tourism management and is counseled and advised by industry and community leaders charged with proposing the office's research priorities. The Office collaborates with the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce to implement a series competitive research and monitoring programs and disseminate such information to decision-makers and stakeholders in the Lowcountry's hospitality and tourism industry.

Recent News Fall 2008/Spring 2009

• The Office of Tourism Analysis (OTA) is working with the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau for the Charleston County’s accommodation tax distribution. The Office is proposing a formula to estimate the economic, media, and community impacts of each applications and determine the appropriate amount of funding for each applicant. The OTA is going to collaborate with Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau in the future on the distribution of accommodation tax of the Charleston County.
• Dr. Bing Pan received a grant of HK$309,500 from Hong Kong Polytechnic  University. The project is titled Developing a Search Engine Visibility Information System (SEVIS) and Benchmarking Online Performance of Tourism Businesses and Organizations. Dr. Pan will work with other researchers for a month in Hong Kong in the summer of 2009.
• Dr. Mueller and Dr. Pan had a successful study abroad program in China from June 10th to June 30th. Along with 18 students, they visited Shanghai, Nanjing, Jining, Tai’an, Jinan, Qingdao, and Beijing.  A local TV station at Jining interviewed them and Dr. Mueller and the students appeared in local TV news. They had lectures from top scholars in Peking University and local tourism bureau officials. They also visited the Beijing Olympic venues.