Statistical system to provide integrated data on tourism sector
17 Sep 2007AMMAN - The Kingdom is developing an integrated tourism statistical information system that will provide the public with access to reliable, consistent and relevant data on the sector.
The National Tourism Statistics System (NTSS), being developing at the Ministry of Tourism with the support of USAID/Siyaha, will incorporate and process data generated by all relevant entities in one integrated system.
The NTSS will support integrated data management at the ministry, upgrade and expand electronic data on key tourism indicators and disseminate information for the benefit of the end user, according to Siyaha Human Resource Development Component Leader Joseph Ruddy.
"Today there are 13 sources from which national tourism statistics are gathered, with seven separate reports generated and disseminated by the ministry to different bodies," he said.
"This management information system is critical to assess the data generated by these sources, ensure it is in line with international protocols and standards, and enhance end-user dynamics," Ruddy added.
Today, tourist data collected and processed by the ministry is provided by hotels, tour operators, tourist transportation companies, restaurants, antique shops, tour guides, the Jordan Tourism Board, the Department of Statistics (DoS), the Central Tourism Police, the General Intelligence Department, tour guides, the Central Bank of Jordan and the Department of Antiquities.
It is a complex process that industry authorities have often described as requiring intense effort and coordination to ensure that data is comprehensive, timely and reliable.
USAID/Siyaha yesterday provided a $70,000 grant for the project, which comes under the second phase of the $250,000 initiative to upgrade the ministry's existing tourism statistical information system.
The Tourism Ministry is covering 55 per cent of the total $250,000 cost of the project, while the remaining is covered by Siyaha.
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Information Technology International (TAGITI) assessed the ministry's information system earlier this year, with a $50,000 grant provided by Siyaha.
TAGITI also developed a master plan for a proposed data governance and tourism information model.
The new system, which falls within the ministry's e-government strategy, aims to collect tourism-related information from the various sources, process the data and generate detailed reports in various formats, according to Siyaha.
These reports will then be utilised by decision-makers, tourism consumers, industry businesses and organisations to better understand the sector.
Ruddy said they will be working on implementing the systems, software and hardware plans in the coming six to eight months, with the information system set to be ready and operational by the middle of next year.
Tourism Minister Osama Dabbas, USAID Deputy Mission Director Dana Mansuri, Ministry Secretary General Farouq Hadidi, USAID Private Enterprise Officer Eric Johnson and USAID/Siyaha Chief of Party Ibrahim Osta attended yesterday's signing ceremony.
Dabbas thanked USAID for its ongoing support for the Kingdom's tourism sector, adding that many challenges lay ahead to bring the industry to its potential.
He said this project "will enable the ministry and other tourism industry stakeholders to gain a clearer picture of the tourism sector in Jordan and subsequently take more effective decisions."
Mansuri said she was pleased with her government's contribution to the project, noting that it was an important investment in enhancing the tourism industry's potential and improving planning and resource allocation.
USAID/Siyaha, a project supporting the 2004-2010 National Tourism Strategy concentrates on six components.
The NTSS project focuses on enhancing research, data management and quality assurance capacities of tourism authorities and will also support the National Tourism Visitors Survey (NTVS), conducted since last July by DoS and Siyaha, to get a more precise view of visitor trends and other relevant data.
The survey, to be completed next month and analysed by DoS in November, targets a sample of 45,000 visitors at all ports of entry and exit over a period of one year and includes 30,000 outbound visitors and 15,000 incoming residents.
In addition, the NTVS serves as a backbone in Jordan's efforts to establish the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), which has been in the works since last year.
The TSA hel ps countries measure the economic contribution of tourism to GDP and provides an analysis of the tourism industry. It focuses on expenditure by resident and nonresident tourists, and on the size of the tourism industry, including its contribution to GDP and employment. With the survey in place, Jordan will be one of 30 countries in the world to participate in the TSA.
The National Tourism Statistics System (NTSS), being developing at the Ministry of Tourism with the support of USAID/Siyaha, will incorporate and process data generated by all relevant entities in one integrated system.
The NTSS will support integrated data management at the ministry, upgrade and expand electronic data on key tourism indicators and disseminate information for the benefit of the end user, according to Siyaha Human Resource Development Component Leader Joseph Ruddy.
"Today there are 13 sources from which national tourism statistics are gathered, with seven separate reports generated and disseminated by the ministry to different bodies," he said.
"This management information system is critical to assess the data generated by these sources, ensure it is in line with international protocols and standards, and enhance end-user dynamics," Ruddy added.
Today, tourist data collected and processed by the ministry is provided by hotels, tour operators, tourist transportation companies, restaurants, antique shops, tour guides, the Jordan Tourism Board, the Department of Statistics (DoS), the Central Tourism Police, the General Intelligence Department, tour guides, the Central Bank of Jordan and the Department of Antiquities.
It is a complex process that industry authorities have often described as requiring intense effort and coordination to ensure that data is comprehensive, timely and reliable.
USAID/Siyaha yesterday provided a $70,000 grant for the project, which comes under the second phase of the $250,000 initiative to upgrade the ministry's existing tourism statistical information system.
The Tourism Ministry is covering 55 per cent of the total $250,000 cost of the project, while the remaining is covered by Siyaha.
Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Information Technology International (TAGITI) assessed the ministry's information system earlier this year, with a $50,000 grant provided by Siyaha.
TAGITI also developed a master plan for a proposed data governance and tourism information model.
The new system, which falls within the ministry's e-government strategy, aims to collect tourism-related information from the various sources, process the data and generate detailed reports in various formats, according to Siyaha.
These reports will then be utilised by decision-makers, tourism consumers, industry businesses and organisations to better understand the sector.
Ruddy said they will be working on implementing the systems, software and hardware plans in the coming six to eight months, with the information system set to be ready and operational by the middle of next year.
Tourism Minister Osama Dabbas, USAID Deputy Mission Director Dana Mansuri, Ministry Secretary General Farouq Hadidi, USAID Private Enterprise Officer Eric Johnson and USAID/Siyaha Chief of Party Ibrahim Osta attended yesterday's signing ceremony.
Dabbas thanked USAID for its ongoing support for the Kingdom's tourism sector, adding that many challenges lay ahead to bring the industry to its potential.
He said this project "will enable the ministry and other tourism industry stakeholders to gain a clearer picture of the tourism sector in Jordan and subsequently take more effective decisions."
Mansuri said she was pleased with her government's contribution to the project, noting that it was an important investment in enhancing the tourism industry's potential and improving planning and resource allocation.
USAID/Siyaha, a project supporting the 2004-2010 National Tourism Strategy concentrates on six components.
The NTSS project focuses on enhancing research, data management and quality assurance capacities of tourism authorities and will also support the National Tourism Visitors Survey (NTVS), conducted since last July by DoS and Siyaha, to get a more precise view of visitor trends and other relevant data.
The survey, to be completed next month and analysed by DoS in November, targets a sample of 45,000 visitors at all ports of entry and exit over a period of one year and includes 30,000 outbound visitors and 15,000 incoming residents.
In addition, the NTVS serves as a backbone in Jordan's efforts to establish the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), which has been in the works since last year.
The TSA hel ps countries measure the economic contribution of tourism to GDP and provides an analysis of the tourism industry. It focuses on expenditure by resident and nonresident tourists, and on the size of the tourism industry, including its contribution to GDP and employment. With the survey in place, Jordan will be one of 30 countries in the world to participate in the TSA.
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