IVS Data Releases Delayed Until June 2008
Last updated:
April 2008
29 February 2008
The release of International Visitor Survey (IVS) data has been delayed while programmed improvements are made to the survey. The next IVS release will be for the year to March 2008, with this taking place in late June 2008.
The delay has been prompted by two technical issues with the survey methodology:
Weighting Methodology
A review of the weighting methodology has highlighted the need to ensure the weights applied better reflect the travelling population. Once a new weighting methodology has been agreed, the IVS dataset will be revised back to the first quarter 2003.
Treatment of Capital Expenditure
A review of the way that occasional capital expenditure items by travellers are treated in the IVS has highlighted that changes to the approach are needed, particularly to align the IVS with United Nations World Tourism Organisation recommendations. These changes will be implemented as part of the IVS redevelopment.
IVS Redevelopment
The management approach for the IVS, and also for the Domestic Travel Survey (DTS), is being changed. From mid-2008, the Ministry will directly manage both surveys, with only data collection outsourced.
As part of this process, the Ministry is analysing all aspects of the survey methodology and, where necessary, improvements are being made. The work to address the issues above is integrated into this process.
The underlying methodologies of the surveys will remain so the industry will be served by the same information that it currently receives, but with the clear intention that the data quality will be improved.
The New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 found that enhanced data quality from these two surveys was needed by the industry, and the Ministry’s redevelopment project is designed to give effect to the Strategy’s resulting recommendation.
Timing
The Ministry will address the technical issues of the IVS methodology over the next few months. It is expected that in June 2008, we will be able to release the data for the year to March 2008, with earlier data included in this release.
Scheduled release dates can be found at www.tourismresearch.govt.nz.
The Ministry would be pleased to respond to any enquires on the delayed release of IVS data and on the IVS/DTS redevelopment project. Contact Bruce Bassett at bruce.bassett@tourism.govt.nz.
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