Tourism statistics

Abstract

How a nation collects and shares data on tourism in the country is influenced by that country’s historical, cultural, and political background, as well as its geographical characteristics. This means there are a wide variety of ways tourism data are collected, evaluated, and disseminated. Although standard statistical mechanisms for tracking tourism have been improved, to be of greatest use, statistical sources should be further enhanced and be comparable across locations and time. For this reason, several international organizations have the responsibility of harmonizing definitions of, and methodologies for, collecting data. These organizations are also a relevant supplier of data sources, working to provide consistent tourism statistics.