Metadata

Metadata is the term used for the documentation of different issues of the statistical data produced by Central Statistical Offices and other integrants of national General Statistical Systems. Part of them are also disseminated by International Organizations in their general statistical publications.

Metadata are closely related with the fact that credibility is provided by users (either those preparing National Accounts, business associations, academic researchers and consultants, etc). In fact, users are often confronted by some difficulties of interpretation when comparing statistics compiled over time within one agency and by agencies in different countries as well as by different international organizations:

• conceptual differences arising from the use of different variable definitions, units and classifications;
• operational differences flowing out of differences in data collection and processing practices by countries, and;
• different practices in the presentation of data.

Tourism Statistics Metadata Project: General Guidelines for documenting tourism statistics is part of the international community effort and shares some of Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) components (www.sdmx.org or www.sdmx.info).

UNWTO metada project is designed as having three phases:

• inventorying data sources;
• inventorying available data related to tourism variables;
• checking the quality of data related to a potential TSA exercise.

It includes the documentation of a different set of statistical inputs –like standards forms for seven type of data sources and a standard check list for identifying available information on key variables-, as well as a comprehensive questionnaire on TSA exercises – both on conceptual issues and main results.

It also includes a multilingual glossary of basic terms in tourism statistics.

Finally as a complementary initiative, UNWTO request periodically a sample of questionnaires used by different countries in main tourism statistical surveys.