On basic tourism statistics: IRTS 2008
The International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 (also known as IRTS 2008) provides a comprehensive methodological framework for collection and compilation of tourism statistics in all countries irrespective of the level of development of their statistical systems.
The IRTS 2008 provides the main concepts, definitions and classifications for the measurement of tourism in a standard way across countries. The core of these concepts and definitions are included in Glossary of Tourism Terms.
Its primary audience is the staff of national statistical offices and national tourism administrations involved in the compilation of tourism statistics. The publication also contains a wealth of information that may be of interest to data users who would like to better understand the nature of tourism data. In addition, it provides general guidance with respect to data sources and data compilation methods.
Quick overview of contents:
- Chapter 1: Development and needs for tourism statistics
- Chapter 2: The demand perspective: basic concepts and definitions
- Chapter 3: The demand perspective: characterization of visitor and tourism trips
- Chapter 4: The demand perspective: tourism expenditure
- Chapter 5: Classifications of products and productive activities for tourism
- Chapter 6: The supply perspective
- Chapter 7: Employment in the tourism industries
- Chapter 8: Understanding tourism in its relationship with other macroeconomic frameworks
- Chapter 9: Supplementary topics
The IRTS 2008 was approved by the United Nations Statistical Commission (UNSC) at its 39th session (26-29 February 2008). It revises and replaces the previous 1993 Recommendations on Tourism Statistics (1993 RTS) adopted by the Commission in 1993 and published in 1994 (the IRTS 2008 – Annex 1 shows the main differences between the 1993 RTS and the IRTS 2008).
The IRTS 2008 has real implications for the way policy-makers and other stakehorlders understand and manage tourism; see Papers.
Might be useful
UN Tourism systematically collects tourism statistics from countries and territories around the world in an extensive database that provides the most comprehensive repository of statistical information available on the tourism sector.
UN Tourism’s Statistics, Standards and Data Department has coordinated important developments relating to the conceptualization of tourism and its measurement, progressively building consensus amongst the international statistical community
The United Nations recognizes UN Tourism as the appropriate organization to collect, to analyze, to publish, to standardize and to improve the statistics of tourism, and to promote the integration of these statistics within the sphere of the United Nations system