tourismbalanceofpaymentinperspective.docVIP

Annex 7. Coherence and consistency in tourism statistics: an overview Introduction There is a reciprocal relationship between integrated statistical information systems and basic statistics: the former state the basic statistics that are required for their implementation; the latter have to be produced using concepts, definitions, classifications that are determined by the reference frameworks, that establish both the concepts and the tables of results. As a consequence, integrated systems stand as the centre of gravity for statistical work in all areas. The System of Tourism Statistics (STS) constitute such a s system (see 1.1. to 1.5.) for which the new International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 (IRTS 2008) and Tourism Satellite Account: Recommended Methodological Framework 2008 (TSA:RMF 2008) hold as the updated reference framework for the STS: both documents share the same concepts, definitions and classifications and they should be used as reference for the identification of data gaps and for the design of new statistical sources as well as for promoting coherence and consistency of available tourism statistical data. The scope of these recommendations might extend in the coming years beyond the still restricted domain they touch upon to include for instance, other components of demand (such as collective consumption and gross fixed capital formation), to develop the sub-national perspective, or to explore the link of TSA with other conceptual frameworks (in particular with the System of Economic and Environmental Accounts –SEEA-) and so will the STS. Statistical data derived from different statistical procedures, administrative sources or obtained using different methodologies cannot usually be directly integrated in a system of information, but require the use of additional statistical techniques (adjustments, confrontations, reconciliations, validations, etc.) that are common practices for NSOs but that NTAs should also develop when