The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations for tourism. As part of the United Nations system, UNWTO participates in the work of the United Nations Statistical Commission, which is a functional commission of the Economic and Social Council and is the highest decision‑making body for international statistical activities. The Commission is active in the setting of statistical standards, the development of concepts and methods, and their implementation at the national and international levels.
The present International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 Compilation Guide is a companion publication to the International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 (IRTS 2008). The primary purpose of this Compilation Guide is to provide further clarification and practical guidance on utilizing the sources and methods needed to compile statistics on tourism. The Guide is designed to support the production of a high‑quality set of basic data and indicators in each country, and to strengthen the international comparability of tourism statistics.
The Compilation Guide was prepared by national compilers of tourism statistics, experts from international and regional organizations, and staff of UNWTO, for use by all those involved in the compilation of tourism statistics, whether they work for national statistical offices, national tourism administrations or any other entity that produces, or can potentially produce, information relevant to the compilation of tourism statistics. In addition, the Guide contains information that may be of interest to users who would like to better understand the nature of tourism data.
UNWTO wishes to express its sincere gratitude to national and international experts on tourism statistics for their valuable inputs and comments, all of which have contributed to shaping this Compilation Guide.