Kiri

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Draft ID: 5684e482-b53c-495e-b2b9-a63bec522c53 Date: 26/05/2026 09:18:17

Open public consultation – Making European tourism statistics fit for the future

Fields marked with * are mandatory.

Introduction

Fifteen years ago, established a common framework for the systematic Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 development, production and dissemination of European statistics on tourism. The objective of this new initiative is to make it fit for the future. It will better address new user needs and better integrate new data sources and methods into the statistical production process. The aim is to produce more complete, timely and cost-efficient European statistics on tourism without increasing the net burden on respondents.

The European Commission invites all individuals and organisations to participate in this public consultation, and to share their views and expertise to improve European tourism statistics.

We would particularly appreciate contributions by:

users of European tourism statistics: public and private decision-makers at national, regional or local level (including national tourism boards), enterprises operating in the tourism sector, researchers, universities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and journalists who rely on these statistics to inform their work and decision-making processes;

data providers and potential data providers, such as enterprises in the tourism sector, or organisations, institutions or companies holding data that can be reused for statistical purposes; producers of European statistics, including national statistical institutes and other national authorities who play a crucial role in developing and implementing statistical methodologies and standards;

statisticians, researchers and experts in the field of tourism and tourism statistics, who can provide valuable insights and technical expertise;

individuals, who have a vested interest in European tourism statistics and their potential impact on policymaking and decision-making.

The content of this consultation does not prejudge the views, positions or any decision to be taken by the Commission on the subject.

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The Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which might be made of the information contained therein.

Contact: [email protected] 

About you

Language of my contribution Bulgarian Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Estonian Finnish French German Greek Hungarian Irish Italian Latvian Lithuanian Maltese Polish Portuguese Romanian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish

*

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I am giving my contribution as Academic/research institution Business association Company/business Consumer organisation EU citizen Environmental organisation Non-EU citizen Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Public authority Trade union Other

First name

Jaana

Surname

Tael

Email (this won't be published)

[email protected]

Country of origin Please add your country of origin, or that of your organisation.   This list does not represent the official position of the European institutions with regard to the legal status or policy of the entities mentioned. It is a harmonisation of often divergent lists and practices.

Afghanistan Djibouti Libya Saint Martin Åland Islands Dominica Liechtenstein Saint Pierre and

Miquelon Albania Dominican

Republic Lithuania Saint Vincent

and the Grenadines

Algeria Ecuador Luxembourg Samoa

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*

*

*

*

4

American Samoa Egypt Macau San Marino Andorra El Salvador Madagascar São Tomé and

Príncipe Angola Equatorial Guinea Malawi Saudi Arabia Anguilla Eritrea Malaysia Senegal Antarctica Estonia Maldives Serbia Antigua and Barbuda

Eswatini Mali Seychelles

Argentina Ethiopia Malta Sierra Leone Armenia Falkland Islands Marshall Islands Singapore Aruba Faroe Islands Martinique Sint Maarten Australia Fiji Mauritania Slovakia Austria Finland Mauritius Slovenia Azerbaijan France Mayotte Solomon Islands Bahamas French Guiana Mexico Somalia Bahrain French Polynesia Micronesia South Africa Bangladesh French Southern

and Antarctic Lands

Moldova South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Barbados Gabon Monaco South Korea Belarus Georgia Mongolia South Sudan Belgium Germany Montenegro Spain Belize Ghana Montserrat Sri Lanka Benin Gibraltar Morocco Sudan Bermuda Greece Mozambique Suriname Bhutan Greenland Myanmar/Burma Svalbard and

Jan Mayen Bolivia Grenada Namibia Sweden Bonaire Saint Eustatius and Saba

Guadeloupe Nauru Switzerland

Guam Nepal Syria

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Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Guatemala Netherlands Taiwan Bouvet Island Guernsey New Caledonia Tajikistan Brazil Guinea New Zealand Tanzania British Indian Ocean Territory

Guinea-Bissau Nicaragua Thailand

British Virgin Islands

Guyana Niger The Gambia

Brunei Haiti Nigeria Timor-Leste Bulgaria Heard Island and

McDonald Islands Niue Togo

Burkina Faso Honduras Norfolk Island Tokelau Burundi Hong Kong Northern Mariana

Islands Tonga

Cambodia Hungary North Korea Trinidad and Tobago

Cameroon Iceland North Macedonia Tunisia Canada India Norway Türkiye Cape Verde Indonesia Oman Turkmenistan Cayman Islands Iran Pakistan Turks and

Caicos Islands Central African Republic

Iraq Palau Tuvalu

Chad Ireland Palestine Uganda Chile Isle of Man Panama Ukraine China Israel Papua New

Guinea United Arab Emirates

Christmas Island Italy Paraguay United Kingdom Clipperton Jamaica Peru United States Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Japan Philippines

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United States Minor Outlying Islands

Colombia Jersey Pitcairn Islands Uruguay Comoros Jordan Poland US Virgin Islands Congo Kazakhstan Portugal Uzbekistan Cook Islands Kenya Puerto Rico Vanuatu Costa Rica Kiribati Qatar Vatican City Côte d’Ivoire Kosovo Réunion Venezuela Croatia Kuwait Romania Vietnam Cuba Kyrgyzstan Russia Wallis and

Futuna Curaçao Laos Rwanda Western Sahara Cyprus Latvia Saint Barthélemy Yemen Czechia Lebanon Saint Helena

Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Zambia

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Lesotho Saint Kitts and Nevis

Zimbabwe

Denmark Liberia Saint Lucia

The Commission will publish all contributions to this public consultation. You can choose whether you would prefer to have your details published or to remain anonymous when your contribution is published. For the purpose of transparency, the type of respondent (for example, ‘business association, ‘consumer association’, ‘EU citizen’) country of origin, organisation name and size, and its transparency

Opt in to select register number, are always published. Your e-mail address will never be published. the privacy option that best suits you. Privacy options default based on the type of respondent selected

I agree with the personal data protection provisions

Your Perspective

B.1. Experience with tourism statistics: how long have you been working with tourism statistics?

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Never worked with tourism statistics Less than 3 years Between 3 and 10 years More than 10 years

B.2. What challenges (if any) have you faced in using European statistics on [optional tourism or what shortcomings and gaps (if any) can you identify?

question]

New needs, priority setting in tourism statistics

The amendment of will be an Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 concerning European statistics on tourism opportunity to revise user needs and to set the right priorities.

We would like to know your opinion on the relevance of certain aspects of tourism statistics. You can also propose ideas that are not reflected in the questions by entering free text when relevant (please be concise).

Scope of internal tourism (Articles 3 and 4)

Internal tourism consists of inbound tourism and domestic tourism. Its current scope covers those tourists that stay at rented accommodation facilities. (This often depends on such facilities being included in statistical registers; smaller establishments, e.g. those with fewer than 10 bed places, are often excluded). Most statistical offices collect this data by means of business surveys addressed to service providers in the accommodation sector (hotels, campsites, other types of short-stay accommodation). In some cases the data is obtained from local authorities.

The following online articles give an introduction to the current statistics on internal tourism: annual data on the , , , and accommodation sector quarterly article on monthly nights spent regional data seasonality regional

. In addition, Eurostat publishes articles on seasonality short-stay accommodation offered via online platforms (this data is not covered by the Regulation, but is based on data sharing agreements with three major platforms).

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C.1. Current statistics on internal tourism measure flows expressed as number of nights spent or number of stays/arrivals at tourist

accommodation establishments. Please rank the possible improvement areas presented below (by moving your priority to the top of the list, etc.).

Use drag&drop or the up/down buttons to change the order or accept the initial order.

Cover all accommodation service providers regardless of their size

Cover also inbound and domestic tourists staying at non-rented accommodation (e.g. second homes, stays with friends or relatives)

Cover also inbound and domestic same-day visitors

Granularity of statistics on internal tourism (Annex I)

Data is currently available by month at NUTS 2 regional level, and annually at NUTS 3 regional level (note: NUTS is the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics and is the classification used for regional statistics

and policy; further info: and ).Eurostat page on NUTS correspondence tables by country

C.2. Should statistics on internal tourism have more temporal granularity? No, the current level of detail is sufficient for most of my needs Yes, it would be extremely helpful to have more frequent data than the current temporal breakdown I don’t know / prefer not to answer

C.3. Regarding destinations visited, should statistics on internal tourism have more geographical granularity?

No, the current level of detail is sufficient for most of my needs Yes, it would be extremely helpful to have more detail than the current geographical breakdowns by destination I don’t know / prefer not to answer

C.4. Regarding the origin of the visitors, should statistics on internal tourism have more geographical granularity? Currently, annual occupancy data is

*

*

*

*

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available separately for each EU and EFTA country and grouped by continent or world region for other visitors (with some major countries reported separately – see Annex I, Section 3E, to the Regulation for a full overview).

No, the current level of detail is sufficient for most of my needs Yes, it would be extremely helpful to have more detail than the current geographical breakdowns by country of origin of the visitor I don’t know / prefer not to answer

C.5. Regarding geographical granularity, which of the currently available breakdowns do you generally use (or would you find relevant to use in the future)?

Minimum 1 selection(s)

Data at national level Data at regional level (administrative breakdown by NUTS 2 or NUTS 3 region) Data broken down by degree of urbanisation (cities, towns and suburbs, rural areas) Data broken down by coastal or non-coastal areas/regions Data for selected cities (available since 2020) Data distinguishing domestic from international guests Data distinguishing guests by country or world region of residence I don’t know / prefer not to answer

Key variables on internal tourism flows (Annex I)

Data is currently available on infrastructure or capacity (number of establishments, number of rooms, number of bed places) and on usage or occupancy (number of arrivals, number of nights spent, occupancy rates) of tourist accommodation establishments.

C.6. Please indicate (in the table below) for each variable the level of priority  you would attach to it. Note that it is important to be sparing in your replies, i.e. to

not label everything as high priority but also identify some as being of ‘medium’ or ‘low’ priority. This will help in setting the right priorities.

High Medium Low I don’t know / prefer not to answer

Capacity – number of establishments

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*

10

Capacity – number of bedrooms

Capacity – number of bed places

Occupancy – number of nights spent

Occupancy – number of arrivals

Occupancy – net occupancy rates

C.7. Apart from your priorities for the current data, indicated above, what additional data needs would you see in terms of statistics on

[optionalaccommodation or in terms of statistics on tourism flows in general? question]

Timeliness of statistics on internal tourism (Article 9)

Monthly data is currently sent to Eurostat by national statistical authorities within 42 days after the reference month, and the data is published soon after (with EU aggregates generally available 60-70 days after the reference month).

Annual data is currently sent to Eurostat by national statistical authorities within 6 months after the reference year, and the data is published soon after (with EU aggregates generally available 9-10 months after the reference year).

Please let us know your opinion on the timeliness (acknowledging that timeliness is correlated with cost and overall quality)

C.8. Please let us know your opinion on the timeliness of monthly data (acknowledging that timeliness can be correlated with cost and overall quality).

Short-term data (monthly data) is available in time for my information needs

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*

*

*

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Short-term data (monthly data) generally comes too late to address my information needs adequately I don’t know / prefer not to answer

C.9. Please let us know your opinion on the timeliness of annual data (acknowledging that timeliness can be correlated with cost and overall quality).

Structural data (annual data) is available in time for my information needs Structural data (annual data) generally comes too late to address my information needs adequately I don’t know / prefer not to answer

Statistics on internal tourism – additional comments

C.10. Please provide further details relating to your replies to the previous questions about internal tourism (C.1 to C.9) or any other suggestions. Please

[optional question]be as concise as possible. 

Characteristics of national tourism (Annex II)

National tourism consists of domestic tourism and outbound tourism by residents of a country. Most statistical offices collect this data by means of household surveys in which a sample of respondents answers questions about their tourism trips during a given reference period prior to the survey. Given the need to reduce the burden on respondents (in other words the number of surveys and the size of those surveys), the current scope of the tourism surveys needs to be reviewed in preparation for amending the surveys. The aspects covered in the surveys will also impact the feasibility of shifting towards alternative data sources or data collection methods. Despite the need to slim the surveys, at the end of this section you will be able to indicate relevant variables or breakdowns currently not covered in the statistics on trips made by EU residents.

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The set of seven online articles ‘ ’ gives an introduction to the current statistics on Tourism trips of Europeans national tourism.

C.11. Please indicate (in the table below) for each variable, currently covered in the surveys, the priority you would attach to it. Note that it is important to be

sparing in your replies, i.e. to not label everything as high priority but also identify some as being of ‘medium’ or ‘low’ priority. This will help in setting the right priorities.

High Medium Low

I don’t know / prefer not to

answer

Data on participation in tourism: share of the population making tourism trips (Annex II, Section 1A)

Data on participation in tourism: reasons for not participating in tourism (Annex II, Section 1B)

Purpose of tourism trips (personal, professional)

Type of destination (city, seaside, countryside, cruise ship, mountains, other)

Main means of transport

Main means of accommodation

Booking arrangements (e.g. package or single services; directly or via a platform/travel agency; online or via a physical travel agency)

Expenditure on the trip

Socio-economic profile of the visitor (age, gender, educational level, employment situation, …)

Characteristics of national tourism – additional comments

C.12. Please provide further details relating to your replies to the previous questions about national tourism or any other suggestions on the existing

[optiodata or on aspects that are not covered. Please be as concise as possible.  nal question]

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*

*

*

*

*

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Harmonised European indicators on the sustainability of tourism

Reliable and comparable statistical information on the economic, social and environmental sustainability of tourism has been identified as a primary user need. In summer 2026, the Commission (Eurostat) will release a first set of indicators, building on the work done by UN Tourism on developing a statistical framework for measuring the sustainability of tourism ( ). The indicators will be based on existing official statistics on SF-MST tourism but also on data taken from other relevant areas of statistics (e.g. business, labour market, balance of payments and environmental statistics). While it does not intend to cover sustainability indicators in a separate Annex in the amended Regulation, the Commission wants to ensure that the basic statistics for constructing relevant indicators in the domain of tourism are laid down in the Regulation (note that this initiative will not extend to amending provisions laid down in other legal acts regarding European statistics).

C.13. One concrete proposal could be collecting data on tourism acceptance by the residents of a country or region, a topic often considered to be missing in indicator systems. What priority would you give to having available comparable data on tourism acceptance (noting that this would be collected using a sample survey, which implies limiting the geographical granularity of the results)?

High Medium Low I don’t know / prefer not to answer

C.14. Regarding indicators on the sustainability of tourism, what aspects [optional question]would you consider essential? 

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Economic importance of tourism

Article 5 of the Regulation called for pilot studies regarding tourism satellite accounts (TSAs), the internationally agreed methodological framework for measuring the economic dimension of tourism. The Commission has supported methodological developments and has collected, on a voluntary basis, available TSA data from European countries at three-yearly intervals (the results are published as experimental statistics at EU level).

The amended Regulation aims to improve the availability of the primary statistics needed as input for compiling TSAs (see also the sections on internal and national tourism above). However, it could also be an opportunity to provide a legal basis for TSAs by gradually introducing TSA tables into the data to be submitted by Member States to the Commission (Eurostat).

C.15. Please indicate the level of priority you attach to having comparable data on the economic importance of tourism, compiled using the recommended methodological framework of TSAs.

High Medium Low I don’t know / prefer not to answer

The recommended methodological framework of TSAs – co-authored by the UN Statistics Division, UN Tourism, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Eurostat – focuses on the direct effects of tourism, for instance the gross value added generated by tourism industries and other industries of the economy that directly serve visitors, but leaves aside the indirect effects that tourism consumption might generate in other parts of the economy.

C.16. When laying down provisions in the Regulation on measuring the economic dimension, should the focus be on the core TSA programme covering the direct impact of tourism consumption on the economy, or rather be expanded to also cover the indirect impact (provided that a harmonised methodology for measuring indirect effects is produced and internationally agreed)?

Measure direct effects only Measure both direct and indirect effects I don’t know / prefer not to answer

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C.17. Below, please provide any further views you may have on measuring the economic dimension of tourism in general, or on TSAs more specifically.  [optional question]

Data needs and priorities – closing remarks

C.18. Below, please add any further points/issues you want to raise regarding tourism data needs that you could not cover in the questions

[optional above (C.1 to C.17). Please be as precise and concise as possible.  question]

Data sources and methods

A major aim of the initiative to update the legal basis for tourism statistics is to embrace alternative data sources and methods in the production system. This approach will contribute to the objective of reducing red tape for businesses (including the reporting burden due to statistical obligations). At the same time, it has the potential to create previously unavailable statistics or improve the completeness, accuracy, granularity and timeliness of existing tourism statistics.

Many of the ambitions in improving tourism statistics, as touched upon in the previous sections of this consultation, cannot be implemented using traditional methods. Business and household surveys are reaching their limits, both in terms of cognitive capacity of the respondents and in terms of societal acceptance of respondent burden. Therefore, implementing a revamped system of tourism statistics will depend on the success in unlocking innovative, unconventional data sources – public or administrative data, as well as privately held data – to produce official statistics.

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The amended introduced the obligation for private data Regulation (EU) 223/2009 on European statistics holders to make data available for developing, producing and disseminating European statistics (Articles 17b to 17f).

Gradually switching to new data sources and methods (and moving away from traditional methods) can improve quality and cost efficiency, but it should be noted that switching to new data sources and methods might lead to a considerable transition period for the new/improved data to become available to users (given the lead time to unlock these new sources and to turn them into viable and sustainable statistical products). It might also lead to some of the current series or breakdowns no longer being available in the future.

Data sources (Article 8)

Article 8 of the current Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 already allows Member States to use a mix of different data sources (when the quality of the results is guaranteed). The article explicitly mentions ‘surveys’, ‘other appropriate sources, including administrative data, if these are appropriate in terms of timeliness and relevance’, and ‘appropriate statistical estimation procedures’. Fifteen years on, it will be necessary to rephrase this article to include – for instance – privately held data.

The amended Regulation should aim to reduce the burden on both respondents and statistical authorities, and to improve the timeliness and quality of the statistics. In this regard it should support the use of new data sources that are already available, including unconventional, alternative ones that don’t primarily rely on surveys. Turning the new data into sustainable statistical products and making those products available to users, including potentially discontinuing current data series, may have to be a gradual transition. It would be put in place via delegated acts or implementing acts.

D.1. What is your view on this approach regarding innovative, unconventional data sources?

The Regulation should introduce the principle that tourism statistics should make maximum use of new data sources to reduce burden and with the potential to improve timeliness and quality for users. The Regulation should prioritise traditional methods for producing tourism statistics, namely surveys, even if this will likely limit the modernisation of tourism statistics. I don’t know / prefer not to answer

D.2. In your opinion, which types of privately held data are the most promising for improving tourism statistics or for reducing the burden in collecting tourism statistics?

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Maximum 3 selection(s)

Mobile network operator data (e.g. to measure tourism flows) Financial transaction card data (e.g. to measure tourist expenditure and as input for TSAs) Data from smart energy meters (e.g. to measure second homes and/or seasonal activity of businesses) Platforms data (e.g. data from intermediary accommodation platforms) Sector-specific data (e.g. flight data, rail data) Other (please specify below) I don’t know / prefer not to answer

D.3. Apart from the sources with potential for producing tourism statistics that are mentioned in the question above (D.2), which other sources should be considered (acknowledging that such sources should ideally exist in

[optional question]most or all countries)? 

D.4. Please provide further details about or reasons for your replies to the questions above (D.1 to D.3), or elaborate on how the target of reducing the

[optional question]burden could be achieved? 

Any other aspects

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Would you like to express any other needs or views that may not have been [optional question]covered in this questionnaire? 

Contact

[email protected]

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Draft ID: 5684e482-b53c-495e-b2b9-a63bec522c53 Date: 26/05/2026 09:18:17

Open public consultation – Making European tourism statistics fit for the future

Fields marked with * are mandatory.

Introduction

Fifteen years ago, established a common framework for the systematic Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 development, production and dissemination of European statistics on tourism. The objective of this new initiative is to make it fit for the future. It will better address new user needs and better integrate new data sources and methods into the statistical production process. The aim is to produce more complete, timely and cost-efficient European statistics on tourism without increasing the net burden on respondents.

The European Commission invites all individuals and organisations to participate in this public consultation, and to share their views and expertise to improve European tourism statistics.

We would particularly appreciate contributions by:

users of European tourism statistics: public and private decision-makers at national, regional or local level (including national tourism boards), enterprises operating in the tourism sector, researchers, universities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and journalists who rely on these statistics to inform their work and decision-making processes;

data providers and potential data providers, such as enterprises in the tourism sector, or organisations, institutions or companies holding data that can be reused for statistical purposes; producers of European statistics, including national statistical institutes and other national authorities who play a crucial role in developing and implementing statistical methodologies and standards;

statisticians, researchers and experts in the field of tourism and tourism statistics, who can provide valuable insights and technical expertise;

individuals, who have a vested interest in European tourism statistics and their potential impact on policymaking and decision-making.

The content of this consultation does not prejudge the views, positions or any decision to be taken by the Commission on the subject.

2

The Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which might be made of the information contained therein.

Contact: [email protected] 

About you

Language of my contribution Bulgarian Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Estonian Finnish French German Greek Hungarian Irish Italian Latvian Lithuanian Maltese Polish Portuguese Romanian Slovak Slovenian Spanish Swedish

*

3

I am giving my contribution as Academic/research institution Business association Company/business Consumer organisation EU citizen Environmental organisation Non-EU citizen Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Public authority Trade union Other

First name

Jaana

Surname

Tael

Email (this won't be published)

[email protected]

Country of origin Please add your country of origin, or that of your organisation.   This list does not represent the official position of the European institutions with regard to the legal status or policy of the entities mentioned. It is a harmonisation of often divergent lists and practices.

Afghanistan Djibouti Libya Saint Martin Åland Islands Dominica Liechtenstein Saint Pierre and

Miquelon Albania Dominican

Republic Lithuania Saint Vincent

and the Grenadines

Algeria Ecuador Luxembourg Samoa

*

*

*

*

*

4

American Samoa Egypt Macau San Marino Andorra El Salvador Madagascar São Tomé and

Príncipe Angola Equatorial Guinea Malawi Saudi Arabia Anguilla Eritrea Malaysia Senegal Antarctica Estonia Maldives Serbia Antigua and Barbuda

Eswatini Mali Seychelles

Argentina Ethiopia Malta Sierra Leone Armenia Falkland Islands Marshall Islands Singapore Aruba Faroe Islands Martinique Sint Maarten Australia Fiji Mauritania Slovakia Austria Finland Mauritius Slovenia Azerbaijan France Mayotte Solomon Islands Bahamas French Guiana Mexico Somalia Bahrain French Polynesia Micronesia South Africa Bangladesh French Southern

and Antarctic Lands

Moldova South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Barbados Gabon Monaco South Korea Belarus Georgia Mongolia South Sudan Belgium Germany Montenegro Spain Belize Ghana Montserrat Sri Lanka Benin Gibraltar Morocco Sudan Bermuda Greece Mozambique Suriname Bhutan Greenland Myanmar/Burma Svalbard and

Jan Mayen Bolivia Grenada Namibia Sweden Bonaire Saint Eustatius and Saba

Guadeloupe Nauru Switzerland

Guam Nepal Syria

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Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Guatemala Netherlands Taiwan Bouvet Island Guernsey New Caledonia Tajikistan Brazil Guinea New Zealand Tanzania British Indian Ocean Territory

Guinea-Bissau Nicaragua Thailand

British Virgin Islands

Guyana Niger The Gambia

Brunei Haiti Nigeria Timor-Leste Bulgaria Heard Island and

McDonald Islands Niue Togo

Burkina Faso Honduras Norfolk Island Tokelau Burundi Hong Kong Northern Mariana

Islands Tonga

Cambodia Hungary North Korea Trinidad and Tobago

Cameroon Iceland North Macedonia Tunisia Canada India Norway Türkiye Cape Verde Indonesia Oman Turkmenistan Cayman Islands Iran Pakistan Turks and

Caicos Islands Central African Republic

Iraq Palau Tuvalu

Chad Ireland Palestine Uganda Chile Isle of Man Panama Ukraine China Israel Papua New

Guinea United Arab Emirates

Christmas Island Italy Paraguay United Kingdom Clipperton Jamaica Peru United States Cocos (Keeling) Islands

Japan Philippines

6

United States Minor Outlying Islands

Colombia Jersey Pitcairn Islands Uruguay Comoros Jordan Poland US Virgin Islands Congo Kazakhstan Portugal Uzbekistan Cook Islands Kenya Puerto Rico Vanuatu Costa Rica Kiribati Qatar Vatican City Côte d’Ivoire Kosovo Réunion Venezuela Croatia Kuwait Romania Vietnam Cuba Kyrgyzstan Russia Wallis and

Futuna Curaçao Laos Rwanda Western Sahara Cyprus Latvia Saint Barthélemy Yemen Czechia Lebanon Saint Helena

Ascension and Tristan da Cunha

Zambia

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Lesotho Saint Kitts and Nevis

Zimbabwe

Denmark Liberia Saint Lucia

The Commission will publish all contributions to this public consultation. You can choose whether you would prefer to have your details published or to remain anonymous when your contribution is published. For the purpose of transparency, the type of respondent (for example, ‘business association, ‘consumer association’, ‘EU citizen’) country of origin, organisation name and size, and its transparency

Opt in to select register number, are always published. Your e-mail address will never be published. the privacy option that best suits you. Privacy options default based on the type of respondent selected

I agree with the personal data protection provisions

Your Perspective

B.1. Experience with tourism statistics: how long have you been working with tourism statistics?

*

7

Never worked with tourism statistics Less than 3 years Between 3 and 10 years More than 10 years

B.2. What challenges (if any) have you faced in using European statistics on [optional tourism or what shortcomings and gaps (if any) can you identify?

question]

New needs, priority setting in tourism statistics

The amendment of will be an Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 concerning European statistics on tourism opportunity to revise user needs and to set the right priorities.

We would like to know your opinion on the relevance of certain aspects of tourism statistics. You can also propose ideas that are not reflected in the questions by entering free text when relevant (please be concise).

Scope of internal tourism (Articles 3 and 4)

Internal tourism consists of inbound tourism and domestic tourism. Its current scope covers those tourists that stay at rented accommodation facilities. (This often depends on such facilities being included in statistical registers; smaller establishments, e.g. those with fewer than 10 bed places, are often excluded). Most statistical offices collect this data by means of business surveys addressed to service providers in the accommodation sector (hotels, campsites, other types of short-stay accommodation). In some cases the data is obtained from local authorities.

The following online articles give an introduction to the current statistics on internal tourism: annual data on the , , , and accommodation sector quarterly article on monthly nights spent regional data seasonality regional

. In addition, Eurostat publishes articles on seasonality short-stay accommodation offered via online platforms (this data is not covered by the Regulation, but is based on data sharing agreements with three major platforms).

8

C.1. Current statistics on internal tourism measure flows expressed as number of nights spent or number of stays/arrivals at tourist

accommodation establishments. Please rank the possible improvement areas presented below (by moving your priority to the top of the list, etc.).

Use drag&drop or the up/down buttons to change the order or accept the initial order.

Cover all accommodation service providers regardless of their size

Cover also inbound and domestic tourists staying at non-rented accommodation (e.g. second homes, stays with friends or relatives)

Cover also inbound and domestic same-day visitors

Granularity of statistics on internal tourism (Annex I)

Data is currently available by month at NUTS 2 regional level, and annually at NUTS 3 regional level (note: NUTS is the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics and is the classification used for regional statistics

and policy; further info: and ).Eurostat page on NUTS correspondence tables by country

C.2. Should statistics on internal tourism have more temporal granularity? No, the current level of detail is sufficient for most of my needs Yes, it would be extremely helpful to have more frequent data than the current temporal breakdown I don’t know / prefer not to answer

C.3. Regarding destinations visited, should statistics on internal tourism have more geographical granularity?

No, the current level of detail is sufficient for most of my needs Yes, it would be extremely helpful to have more detail than the current geographical breakdowns by destination I don’t know / prefer not to answer

C.4. Regarding the origin of the visitors, should statistics on internal tourism have more geographical granularity? Currently, annual occupancy data is

*

*

*

*

9

available separately for each EU and EFTA country and grouped by continent or world region for other visitors (with some major countries reported separately – see Annex I, Section 3E, to the Regulation for a full overview).

No, the current level of detail is sufficient for most of my needs Yes, it would be extremely helpful to have more detail than the current geographical breakdowns by country of origin of the visitor I don’t know / prefer not to answer

C.5. Regarding geographical granularity, which of the currently available breakdowns do you generally use (or would you find relevant to use in the future)?

Minimum 1 selection(s)

Data at national level Data at regional level (administrative breakdown by NUTS 2 or NUTS 3 region) Data broken down by degree of urbanisation (cities, towns and suburbs, rural areas) Data broken down by coastal or non-coastal areas/regions Data for selected cities (available since 2020) Data distinguishing domestic from international guests Data distinguishing guests by country or world region of residence I don’t know / prefer not to answer

Key variables on internal tourism flows (Annex I)

Data is currently available on infrastructure or capacity (number of establishments, number of rooms, number of bed places) and on usage or occupancy (number of arrivals, number of nights spent, occupancy rates) of tourist accommodation establishments.

C.6. Please indicate (in the table below) for each variable the level of priority  you would attach to it. Note that it is important to be sparing in your replies, i.e. to

not label everything as high priority but also identify some as being of ‘medium’ or ‘low’ priority. This will help in setting the right priorities.

High Medium Low I don’t know / prefer not to answer

Capacity – number of establishments

*

*

10

Capacity – number of bedrooms

Capacity – number of bed places

Occupancy – number of nights spent

Occupancy – number of arrivals

Occupancy – net occupancy rates

C.7. Apart from your priorities for the current data, indicated above, what additional data needs would you see in terms of statistics on

[optionalaccommodation or in terms of statistics on tourism flows in general? question]

Timeliness of statistics on internal tourism (Article 9)

Monthly data is currently sent to Eurostat by national statistical authorities within 42 days after the reference month, and the data is published soon after (with EU aggregates generally available 60-70 days after the reference month).

Annual data is currently sent to Eurostat by national statistical authorities within 6 months after the reference year, and the data is published soon after (with EU aggregates generally available 9-10 months after the reference year).

Please let us know your opinion on the timeliness (acknowledging that timeliness is correlated with cost and overall quality)

C.8. Please let us know your opinion on the timeliness of monthly data (acknowledging that timeliness can be correlated with cost and overall quality).

Short-term data (monthly data) is available in time for my information needs

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Short-term data (monthly data) generally comes too late to address my information needs adequately I don’t know / prefer not to answer

C.9. Please let us know your opinion on the timeliness of annual data (acknowledging that timeliness can be correlated with cost and overall quality).

Structural data (annual data) is available in time for my information needs Structural data (annual data) generally comes too late to address my information needs adequately I don’t know / prefer not to answer

Statistics on internal tourism – additional comments

C.10. Please provide further details relating to your replies to the previous questions about internal tourism (C.1 to C.9) or any other suggestions. Please

[optional question]be as concise as possible. 

Characteristics of national tourism (Annex II)

National tourism consists of domestic tourism and outbound tourism by residents of a country. Most statistical offices collect this data by means of household surveys in which a sample of respondents answers questions about their tourism trips during a given reference period prior to the survey. Given the need to reduce the burden on respondents (in other words the number of surveys and the size of those surveys), the current scope of the tourism surveys needs to be reviewed in preparation for amending the surveys. The aspects covered in the surveys will also impact the feasibility of shifting towards alternative data sources or data collection methods. Despite the need to slim the surveys, at the end of this section you will be able to indicate relevant variables or breakdowns currently not covered in the statistics on trips made by EU residents.

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The set of seven online articles ‘ ’ gives an introduction to the current statistics on Tourism trips of Europeans national tourism.

C.11. Please indicate (in the table below) for each variable, currently covered in the surveys, the priority you would attach to it. Note that it is important to be

sparing in your replies, i.e. to not label everything as high priority but also identify some as being of ‘medium’ or ‘low’ priority. This will help in setting the right priorities.

High Medium Low

I don’t know / prefer not to

answer

Data on participation in tourism: share of the population making tourism trips (Annex II, Section 1A)

Data on participation in tourism: reasons for not participating in tourism (Annex II, Section 1B)

Purpose of tourism trips (personal, professional)

Type of destination (city, seaside, countryside, cruise ship, mountains, other)

Main means of transport

Main means of accommodation

Booking arrangements (e.g. package or single services; directly or via a platform/travel agency; online or via a physical travel agency)

Expenditure on the trip

Socio-economic profile of the visitor (age, gender, educational level, employment situation, …)

Characteristics of national tourism – additional comments

C.12. Please provide further details relating to your replies to the previous questions about national tourism or any other suggestions on the existing

[optiodata or on aspects that are not covered. Please be as concise as possible.  nal question]

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Harmonised European indicators on the sustainability of tourism

Reliable and comparable statistical information on the economic, social and environmental sustainability of tourism has been identified as a primary user need. In summer 2026, the Commission (Eurostat) will release a first set of indicators, building on the work done by UN Tourism on developing a statistical framework for measuring the sustainability of tourism ( ). The indicators will be based on existing official statistics on SF-MST tourism but also on data taken from other relevant areas of statistics (e.g. business, labour market, balance of payments and environmental statistics). While it does not intend to cover sustainability indicators in a separate Annex in the amended Regulation, the Commission wants to ensure that the basic statistics for constructing relevant indicators in the domain of tourism are laid down in the Regulation (note that this initiative will not extend to amending provisions laid down in other legal acts regarding European statistics).

C.13. One concrete proposal could be collecting data on tourism acceptance by the residents of a country or region, a topic often considered to be missing in indicator systems. What priority would you give to having available comparable data on tourism acceptance (noting that this would be collected using a sample survey, which implies limiting the geographical granularity of the results)?

High Medium Low I don’t know / prefer not to answer

C.14. Regarding indicators on the sustainability of tourism, what aspects [optional question]would you consider essential? 

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Economic importance of tourism

Article 5 of the Regulation called for pilot studies regarding tourism satellite accounts (TSAs), the internationally agreed methodological framework for measuring the economic dimension of tourism. The Commission has supported methodological developments and has collected, on a voluntary basis, available TSA data from European countries at three-yearly intervals (the results are published as experimental statistics at EU level).

The amended Regulation aims to improve the availability of the primary statistics needed as input for compiling TSAs (see also the sections on internal and national tourism above). However, it could also be an opportunity to provide a legal basis for TSAs by gradually introducing TSA tables into the data to be submitted by Member States to the Commission (Eurostat).

C.15. Please indicate the level of priority you attach to having comparable data on the economic importance of tourism, compiled using the recommended methodological framework of TSAs.

High Medium Low I don’t know / prefer not to answer

The recommended methodological framework of TSAs – co-authored by the UN Statistics Division, UN Tourism, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Eurostat – focuses on the direct effects of tourism, for instance the gross value added generated by tourism industries and other industries of the economy that directly serve visitors, but leaves aside the indirect effects that tourism consumption might generate in other parts of the economy.

C.16. When laying down provisions in the Regulation on measuring the economic dimension, should the focus be on the core TSA programme covering the direct impact of tourism consumption on the economy, or rather be expanded to also cover the indirect impact (provided that a harmonised methodology for measuring indirect effects is produced and internationally agreed)?

Measure direct effects only Measure both direct and indirect effects I don’t know / prefer not to answer

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C.17. Below, please provide any further views you may have on measuring the economic dimension of tourism in general, or on TSAs more specifically.  [optional question]

Data needs and priorities – closing remarks

C.18. Below, please add any further points/issues you want to raise regarding tourism data needs that you could not cover in the questions

[optional above (C.1 to C.17). Please be as precise and concise as possible.  question]

Data sources and methods

A major aim of the initiative to update the legal basis for tourism statistics is to embrace alternative data sources and methods in the production system. This approach will contribute to the objective of reducing red tape for businesses (including the reporting burden due to statistical obligations). At the same time, it has the potential to create previously unavailable statistics or improve the completeness, accuracy, granularity and timeliness of existing tourism statistics.

Many of the ambitions in improving tourism statistics, as touched upon in the previous sections of this consultation, cannot be implemented using traditional methods. Business and household surveys are reaching their limits, both in terms of cognitive capacity of the respondents and in terms of societal acceptance of respondent burden. Therefore, implementing a revamped system of tourism statistics will depend on the success in unlocking innovative, unconventional data sources – public or administrative data, as well as privately held data – to produce official statistics.

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The amended introduced the obligation for private data Regulation (EU) 223/2009 on European statistics holders to make data available for developing, producing and disseminating European statistics (Articles 17b to 17f).

Gradually switching to new data sources and methods (and moving away from traditional methods) can improve quality and cost efficiency, but it should be noted that switching to new data sources and methods might lead to a considerable transition period for the new/improved data to become available to users (given the lead time to unlock these new sources and to turn them into viable and sustainable statistical products). It might also lead to some of the current series or breakdowns no longer being available in the future.

Data sources (Article 8)

Article 8 of the current Regulation (EU) No 692/2011 already allows Member States to use a mix of different data sources (when the quality of the results is guaranteed). The article explicitly mentions ‘surveys’, ‘other appropriate sources, including administrative data, if these are appropriate in terms of timeliness and relevance’, and ‘appropriate statistical estimation procedures’. Fifteen years on, it will be necessary to rephrase this article to include – for instance – privately held data.

The amended Regulation should aim to reduce the burden on both respondents and statistical authorities, and to improve the timeliness and quality of the statistics. In this regard it should support the use of new data sources that are already available, including unconventional, alternative ones that don’t primarily rely on surveys. Turning the new data into sustainable statistical products and making those products available to users, including potentially discontinuing current data series, may have to be a gradual transition. It would be put in place via delegated acts or implementing acts.

D.1. What is your view on this approach regarding innovative, unconventional data sources?

The Regulation should introduce the principle that tourism statistics should make maximum use of new data sources to reduce burden and with the potential to improve timeliness and quality for users. The Regulation should prioritise traditional methods for producing tourism statistics, namely surveys, even if this will likely limit the modernisation of tourism statistics. I don’t know / prefer not to answer

D.2. In your opinion, which types of privately held data are the most promising for improving tourism statistics or for reducing the burden in collecting tourism statistics?

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Maximum 3 selection(s)

Mobile network operator data (e.g. to measure tourism flows) Financial transaction card data (e.g. to measure tourist expenditure and as input for TSAs) Data from smart energy meters (e.g. to measure second homes and/or seasonal activity of businesses) Platforms data (e.g. data from intermediary accommodation platforms) Sector-specific data (e.g. flight data, rail data) Other (please specify below) I don’t know / prefer not to answer

D.3. Apart from the sources with potential for producing tourism statistics that are mentioned in the question above (D.2), which other sources should be considered (acknowledging that such sources should ideally exist in

[optional question]most or all countries)? 

D.4. Please provide further details about or reasons for your replies to the questions above (D.1 to D.3), or elaborate on how the target of reducing the

[optional question]burden could be achieved? 

Any other aspects

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Would you like to express any other needs or views that may not have been [optional question]covered in this questionnaire? 

Contact

[email protected]