Tourism Statistics Management and Dissemination Approach in New Zealand

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Tourism Statistics - Management and
Dissemination Approach in New Zealand

• Bruce Bassett
• Ministry of Tourism

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• Todays Presentation
• New Zealands system of tourism statistics
• What we do
• How we do it
• How users can access it
• Key observations

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• Firstly, New Zealand...
• Nation of 4 million people
• Located in South Pacific three hours flight
  time from Australia
• Mixed economy with agriculture and service sector
  base

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• Tourism in New Zealand...
• International tourism NZ6.8 billion
• 15.7 of export earnings
• Domestic Tourism NZ8.3 billion
• 9.0 of GDP (direct and indirect)
• 9.3 of employment (direct and indirect)
• Tourism is very important for New Zealand...

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• ...and growing rapidly...
• Forecasts to 2009
• International arrivals up 5.7 per year
• International expenditure up 9.7 per year

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• Strategic Context...
• New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2010
• Released in 2001with strategic focus to 2010
• Developed through public/private sector
  partnership
• Key document for tourism setting long term
  vision
• ...High yield and sustainable industry...

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• NZTS 2010 Research Recommendations
• Recognised research and data as key enabler
• Key recommendation to
• ...establish commitment for the continuation of
  funding for the core tourism dataset ... and the
  accountability for commissioning the core tourism
  data set should be within one organisation.

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• Secondary Recommendations...
• ...improve the quality and integration of the
  core tourism data set to support effective sector
  analysis.
• ...exploit technology and other media to
  increase the accessibility of research to users.

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• What have we achieved...
• Since 2001, the recommendations have been
  substantively actioned
• Funding in place
• Responsibility vested with Ministry of Tourism
• Quality processes in place
• Common data management
• Dissemination strategy in place

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• Organisational Arrangements...

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• Key Agencies...
• Ministry of Tourism
• Strategic responsibility for programme
• Funded to procure New Zealands tourism
  statistics
• Supports the Tourism Research Council New Zealand
• Team of six to support the research programme

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• Key Agencies...
• Tourism Research Council New Zealand
• Established by Minister of Tourism in 2000
• Provides advice to Ministry to ensure the tourism
  statistics are meeting industry requirements
• TRCNZ brand focal point for dissemination
  (under review)

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• Key Agencies...
• Statistics New Zealand
• New Zealand official statistical agency
• Undertakes key components of tourism statistics
• Has overview role to ensure quality of official
  statistics, including those it doesnt produce
  itself

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• This approach provides for...
• Industry requirements articulated through TRCNZ
• Consistency and integration through the
  Ministrys ownership of the system
• Rigour from the official statistical agency
• This is New Zealands system of tourism
  statistics, the components of which are...

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• Core Tourism Data Set

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• International Visitor Arrivals...
• Core data on arrivals and departures
• Provided by Statistics New Zealand
• Released monthly
• Weekly tracking data also

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• International Visitor Survey...
• Interview of 5000 departing travellers
• Expenditure, travel patterns, activities
• Time series since 1997
• Provided by market research company
• Released quarterly

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• Domestic Travel Survey...
• Interview of 15,000 households
• Expenditure, travel patterns, activities for
  day trip and overnight travel
• Time series since 1999
• Provided by market research company
• Currently, annual release but moving to quarterly
  

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• Commercial Accommodation Monitor...
• Survey of around 3500 accommodation providers
• Capacity, occupancy, origin of visitors
• Time series since 1996
• Provided by Statistics New Zealand
• Released monthly

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• Tourism Satellite Account...
• Measure of economic contribution of tourism
• Expenditure, value added, employment
• Time series since 1997
• Provided by Statistics New Zealand

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• Tourism Satellite Account
• Key Feature of New Zealands TSA...
• Direct and indirect contribution
• Allows the full role of tourism to be measured
  and accounted for - the full picture of tourism
  is being told
• Released annually
• Current (released 15 months after reference
  period)

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• Forecasts
• Well worth a mention...
• Annual forecasting cycle
• Arrivals, nights and expenditure
• Short term and out to 2009
• Key vehicle for regional analysis
• Provided by economic analysis companies

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• Forecast Accuracy...

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Reporting Data as Quickly as Possible...
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• Driving Quality...
• Ongoing quality processes...
• Foundation project
• Review of Core Tourism Statistics
• Released in 2002

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• Driving Quality...
• Implementation of the Reviews Recommendations
• Audit process for IVS and DTS
• Aligning classifications across datasets
• Refining methodologies
• Separate review of CAMs operations

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• Dissemination Strategy...
• There is a large body of quality data...
• The big challenge is to drive usage of these
  statistical outputs

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• Three key aspects...
• Data Management
• TRCNZ Website
• Communications

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• Data Management...
• First step has been to deploy a common data
  management platform for the outputs of the core
  tourism data set...
• Harmoni Software

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• Harmoni...
• Proprietary software programme
• Allows user to access and manipulate data for
  their particular needs
• User friendly and intuitive programme
• Critically, it enables data access via the TRCNZ
  website...

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• TRCNZ Website...
• This is a major tool for accessing data, research
  and analysis
• A one-stop-shop for tourism research, data and
  forecasts

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• TRCNZ Website...
• Tiered access and lots of content
• High level summary data
• Through to...
• Direct data access - powerful tool

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• So, who are the website users
• Many and varied users industry, researchers,
  consultants, government, students
• Full range of breadth and depth top line data
  users to in-depth users
• Building website usage
• We have a lot more to do awareness raising and
  training is a top priority

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• Communications...
• Designed to take specific information to users
  and to raise awareness of the programme
• A number of tools...

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TRCNZs Blue Book
Highlights from all the data sets over long time
periods Annual data
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TRCNZs Forecasts

• Forecasts to 2009
• Nights, arrivals, expenditure, regional activity
  and more...

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• The Short Term...
• Challenge to get the regular data updates to
  users

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Tourism Leading Indicators Monitor Monthly
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• Lots of other mechanisms...
• Good relationships with media
• Ministerial support in data releases
• Comprehensive user relationships forged
• One-on-one contacts with key agencies and
  companies
• Good usage but more work needed

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• What difference has been made...
• High level data has fundamentally changed the way
  tourism is viewed as an industry
• Tourism is clearly recognised as a key driver of
  the New Zealand economy

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• What difference...
• More analytical work is undertaken - the
  understanding of tourism has never been better
• For instance, understanding the effects of major
  events on New Zealand tourism, eg Sept 11, SARS
• Declines less than initial expectations
• Recovery faster that expectations
• Quality information moderates reactions

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• What difference...
• We are able to analyse tourism at a finer level
  than ever before
• Information in the hands of decision-makers at
  the levels that they need it...

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• What difference...
• The forecasts provide a robust future focus...
• Forecasts widely used by industry and agencies
  in planning processes.

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• Some key lessons from the New Zealand
  experience...

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• Key lessons...
• Strategic Driver
• Needs high level strategic driver and commitment
  to make it happen in our case the New Zealand
  Tourism Strategy 2010 was the driver...

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• Key lessons...
• Single Point of Responsibility
• Overall responsibility for the data components
  with one organisation is highly desirable

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• Key lessons...
• Comprehensive Review
• Informing management processes through
  undertaking comprehensive reviews is key

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• Key lessons...
• Ability to Implement
• There needs to be an ability to implement the
  findings of review processes

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• Key lessons...
• Common Data
• Common data management allows dissemination
  processes to be streamlined and analysis
  undertaken on common basis

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• Key lessons...
• Direct User Access
• Web access with direct user access to data is key
  to the effective provision of large volumes of
  information that users can tailor for their use

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• Finally...
• This is an ambitious programme it is new and
  evolving. There is much development to be done
• There is lots more certainty in the sector than
  previously existed
• The value of the data is in its usage

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www.trcnz.govt.nz