06/08/06

About Us

The Valley Markets and Tourism Research Center is located in the College of Business Administration at The University of Texas-Pan American.  The Center is part of the University’s outreach program designed to provide research and professional service to the region and the state. The Center is devoted to examining, understanding and disseminating information about indigenous and transient markets in the Rio Grande Valle to facilitate regional community and business planning and development. 

In addition, the Center is committed to providing educational opportunities for the University’s students by actively involving students in the research activities of the Center.

Markets specifically targeted by the Center for study include:

• Senior Travelers or "Winter Texans"
• Mexican National visitors to the U.S.
• Spring Breakers to South Padre Island
• Local residents' attitudes and reactions toward Valley issues.

The primary research focus of the Center is a biennial study of consumers, both visitors and residents, in the Valley during the winter time of the year.  These studies, published since 1986, are designed to determine the activities and spending of visitors to the Valley and the opinions, attitudes and activities of all consumer markets about issues important to the Valley.  Additionally, a variety of research-based publications, both academic and applied, covering the above topics are produced and disseminated regionally, statewide, and nationally. Research findings have been quoted in numerous newspapers and magazines such as: The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, New Yorker Magazine, Southwest Hotel-Motel Review, Home & Away, Des Moines Register, New York Times, Houston Chronicle, Fort Worth Starr-Telegram, Dallas Morning News, Austin Statesman, San Antonio Express, plus local newspapers, radio and TV.
 

Center Director

The director of the Center is Dr. Penny Simpson, an Associate Professor of Marketing at The University of Texas-Pan American.  She has taught at different universities for fifteen years and continuously works to interface students with local firms to examine business and market issues and provide solutions.  Results of her research have appeared in numerous marketing publications including the Journal of Marketing, the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science and the Journal of Business Research.  She is also an author on the marketing textbook Marketing Principles & Best Practices.