Muscat – The Second Arab Forum for Tourism Statistics 2024 concluded in Muscat on Tuesday with key recommendations for Arab countries to adopt modern technologies such as big data analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve tourism statistics.
The forum emphasised the importance of using these technologies to enhance the accuracy and speed of tourism data collection, as well as leverage administrative records available from various government agencies.
One of the main recommendations was to encourage innovation in data sources, focusing on big data, including mobile phone location data, electronic payment systems, geographic information systems (GIS) and reservation data with the goal of providing comprehensive information that goes beyond standard indicators and supports decision-making and strategic planning in the tourism sector.
The forum also called for stronger cooperation among stakeholders involved in tourism statistics, highlighting the need for effective governance, data exchange and open data availability. These efforts aim to increase transparency and improve the development of effective tourism policies. Training and capacity building in innovative data collection and analysis techniques were also recommended.
In line with international best practices, the forum urged Arab countries to follow global frameworks for tourism statistics, adhering to UN Tourism guidelines. These include application of tourism satellite accounts to measure the broader economic impact of tourism and its contribution to national economies.
The importance of regional and international cooperation was stressed, particularly in adopting new technologies for data collection and analysis. The forum encouraged Arab nations to exchange expertise and best practices to boost their competitiveness in tourism. It also recommended that Arab League members develop statistical bulletins to include key tourism indicators and enhance methods for collecting tourism data.
Organised by Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information in partnership with the Arab League and Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the three-day forum featured discussions on innovative data sources and Arab experiences in tourism statistics. The final session was moderated by Linda Moreno from UN Tourism, focusing on regional and international case studies in non-traditional tourism data collection.
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