Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation
Backgrounder
Where Do the Newfoundland & Labrador
Travel/Tourism Numbers Come From?
Introduction:
- This backgrounder provides an overview of
the Newfoundland and Labrador Travel/Tourism Indicators and how the
Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation estimates travel volumes
and associated expenditures for any given year. This overview consists
of a description and listing of the travel/tourism indicators and the
data sources used to calculate annual travel volumes and associated
expenditures. This latter information is illustrated with examples for
the 1997 travel/tourism season.
The Travel/Tourism Indicators
- The Strategic Planning and Policy
Division, Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, is responsible
for the maintenance of a travel/tourism data base that permits the
monitoring of various travel/tourism statistical indicators. This is
achieved through the co-operation of many industry stakeholders and
Departmental staff who provide data to the Division on a regular basis.
These indicators are compiled monthly and reviewed at mid-season and
year-end. This allows for month-over-month and year-over-year
comparisons, as well as for tracking and monitoring long-term trends.
Primary Indicators
(used in conjunction with exit surveys to estimate levels of non-resident
visits and expenditures)
- Marine Atlantic Traffic Reports for Port
aux Basques and Argentia
- Agriculture Canada (Census of Motor
Vehicle data) for Port aux Basques and Argentia
- Boarding Passengers statistics by Airline
and Airport
- Trip itinerary and passenger data provided
by the Cruise Ship Authority of Newfoundland and Labrador (CANAL).
Secondary Indicators
- Deplaning Passenger statistics by Airline
and Airport
- Transport Canada Airport Traffic
Statistics by Atlantic Canada Airport
- Provincial Chalet Visitation (overall and
by facility)
- Provincial Historic Site Visitation
(overall and by facility)
- Cape St. Mary’s Visitation
- Provincial Park Statistics (overall, by
region and by facility)
- Direct International Arrivals (St. John’s
Customs Office)
- Passenger Arrivals (Fortune Customs
Office)
- Labrador Straits Ferry
- Provincial Museum Visitation (overall and
by facility)
- National Park Visitation (Terra Nova and
Gros Morne)
- National Historic Sites (by site)
- Car Rental Revenue (St. John’s Airport)
- Provincial Archive Visitation
- Skier Visits (Marble Mountain)
- Exiting Bus Traffic via Marine Atlantic
- Salmonier Nature Park
- Labrador West VIC Visits
- Colony of Avalon (Ferryland)
- City of St. John’s Railcar and ACVB
Visitor Centre
- Accommodations Database maintained by the
Strategic Planning and Policy Division, Department of Tourism, Culture
and Recreation, under the Tourism Establishment Act and Regulations.
This is a monthly census of roofed accommodations and commercial
campgrounds based on data remitted from licenced operators.
- Accommodation Trends (National Survey
administered by Pannell Kerr Forster "Trends in the Canadian Hotel
Industry")
- Accommodations Statistics, St. John’s
Avalon Convention and Visitors Bureau (eight major hotels in St. John’s).
The Non-Resident Numbers
1. Non-Resident Automobile Volumes and
Expenditures
Data Sources:
- Marine Atlantic Traffic Reports-
This monthly traffic report supplied by Marine Atlantic outlines by port
and direction, the volumes of entering and exiting passengers and
passenger related vehicles.
- Census of Motor Vehicle Reports-
This monthly report supplied by Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA)
is a census (count) by origin of all vehicle licence plates inspected at
the vehicle inspection stations in Port aux Basques or Argentia. The
non-resident and resident proportions of exiting volumes are estimated
using this data.
- Latest Auto Exit Survey- This
survey is conducted at intervals under the direction of the Strategic
Planning and Policy Division, Department of Tourism, Culture and
Recreation. The primary purpose of this survey is to collect various
trip and visitor characteristics including origin of visitors and
expenditure patterns for a sample of non-resident automobile visitors.
The last auto exit survey was implemented between mid-June and October
31, 1997. A new, 12-month survey is underway in 2003/04 and will be
reported in early 2005. At that time, travel volumes and associated
expenditures will be re-calculated using updated survey information.
- Statistics Canada- This agency
provides the Travel Price Index (TPI) to the department. It is a
function of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) isolating only the
travel/tourism components. This index is utilized in non-survey years to
aid in the calculation of non-resident expenditures.
Example Calculation for the 1997 Non-Resident
Automobile Volumes
|
A |
B |
C |
Month |
Exiting Passengers |
Non-Resident % |
# of Non-Residents |
January |
7,399 |
0.595 |
4,402 |
February |
4,467 |
0.470 |
2,099 |
March |
7,798 |
0.425 |
3,314 |
April |
8,038 |
0.334 |
2,685 |
May |
11,343 |
0.352 |
3,993 |
June |
18,914 |
0.505 |
9,543 |
July |
44,051 |
0.678 |
29,865 |
August |
59,952 |
0.677 |
40,615 |
September |
20,159 |
0.642 |
12,949 |
October |
12,709 |
0.569 |
7,231 |
November |
6,446 |
0.453 |
2,920 |
December |
6,091 |
0.461 |
2,808 |
Total |
207,367 |
|
122,425 |
Column
A:
From the monthly Marine Atlantic Traffic Reports
B: From the monthly Census of Motor
Vehicle Counts by Agriculture Canada
C: Column A X Column B, then summed
for an estimate of Non-Resident Automobile Visitors
Note: This calculation is usually done by
port of exit (Port Aux Basques or Argentia) and then combined.
Example Calculation for the 1997 Non-Resident
Automobile Expenditures
- Data collected in the 1997 auto exit
survey indicates that the average expenditure per non-resident
automobile visitor was $459.
- Total In-province expenditures = 122,425 X
$459 = $56,193,100
Note: This calculation is usually done by
origin of the visitor and then totalled.
A Couple of Assumptions for Non-Resident
Automobile Visitors and Expenditures
- The distribution of exiting vehicles is
equal to the distribution of exiting passengers.
- Trip/Visitor expenditure levels and
patterns during the survey period can be utilized during off survey time
periods.
Origin Groupings
- Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Ontario
- Western Canada (Alberta, Manitoba,
Saskatchewan, British Columbia, NWT and Yukon)
- New England States (Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont)
- Mid Atlantic States (New Jersey, New York
and Pennsylvania)
- East North Central States (Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin)
- South Atlantic States (Delaware, District
of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Virginia and West Virginia)
- Other USA (all states not included in the
above groupings)
- Foreign Countries
Reporting Period
-
Non-resident auto volumes and expenditures are normally prepared for two
time periods; June to September and January to December. It should be noted
that the methodology allows for reporting on a monthly basis.
2. Non-Resident Air Volumes and
Expenditures
Data Sources:
- Boarding Passenger Statistics-
Monthly traffic reports supplied by the various airlines serving the
province provides the volume of passengers boarding aircraft at the
province’s six major airports- St. John’s, Gander, Deer Lake,
Stephenville, Wabush and Goose Bay.
- Latest Air Exit Survey- This
regular survey is conducted under the direction of the Strategic
Planning and Policy Division, Department of Tourism, Culture and
Recreation. The primary purpose is to collect various trip and visitor
characteristics including the non-resident and resident shares of
boarding passengers, the origin of visitors and expenditure patterns for
a sample of non-resident air visitors. The last air exit survey was
implemented between mid June and October 31, 1997. A new, 12-month
survey is underway in 2003/04 and will be reported in early 2005. At
that time, travel volumes and associated expenditures will be
re-calculated using updated survey information.
- Statistics Canada- This agency
provides the Travel Price Index (TPI) to the department. It is a
function of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) isolating only the
travel/tourism components. This index is utilized in non-survey years to
aid in the calculation of non-resident expenditures.
Example Calculation for the 1997 Non-Resident
Air Volumes
- Due to confidentiality requirements the
data presented in the following table is for illustration purposes only
and does not reflect the actual/real situation.
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
Airline |
Boarding Passengers |
Eligible Proportion |
Non-Resident % |
# of Non-Residents |
Airline 1 |
2,000 |
0.4557 |
0.3111 |
284 |
Airline 2 |
79,500 |
0.9292 |
0.5422 |
40,053 |
Airline 3 |
162,900 |
0.9194 |
0.2798 |
41,906 |
Airline 4 |
139,500 |
0.9550 |
0.1111 |
14,809 |
Airline 5 |
116,200 |
0.9359 |
0.4455 |
48,449 |
Total |
500,100 |
|
|
145,501 |
Column
A. From the monthly Boarding Passenger
Statistics reported by the various airlines and airport.
B. From the latest air exit survey. Boarding passengers are reduced to
reflect in-eligible travellers such as commuting to work etc.
C: From the latest air exit survey.
The volume of non-resident travellers
D: Column A X Column B X Column C,
then summed for an estimate of Non-Resident Air Visitors
Note: This calculation is usually done by
month by airline and airport and then combined.
Example Calculation for the 1997 Non-Resident
Air Expenditures
- Data collected in the 1997 air exit survey
indicates that the average expenditure per non-resident air visitor was
$605.
- Total In-province expenditures = 145,501 X
$605 = $88,028,100
Note: This calculation is usually done by
origin of the visitor and then totalled.
A Couple of Assumptions for Non-Resident Air
Visitors and Expenditures
- The share of eligible travellers and the
proportions of boarding passengers that are non-resident or resident
travellers reported during the survey period can be utilized during off
survey periods.
- Trip/Visitor expenditure levels and
patterns during the survey period can be utilized during off survey time
periods.
Origin Groupings
- Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Ontario
- Western Canada (Alberta, Manitoba,
Saskatchewan, British Columbia, NWT and Yukon)
- New England States (Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont)
-
Mid Atlantic States (New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania)
- East North Central States (Illinois,
Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin)
- South Atlantic States (Delaware, District
of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina,
Virginia and West Virginia)
- Other USA (all states not included in the
above groupings)
- Foreign Countries
Reporting Period
- Non-resident air volumes and expenditures
are normally prepared for two time periods; June to September and
January to December. It should be noted that the methodology allows for
reporting on a monthly basis.
3. Non-Resident Cruise Volumes and
Expenditures
Data Sources:
- Visitor Statistics and Expenditures-
Data for non-resident cruise visitors is based on trip itinerary and
passenger data provided by the Cruise Ship Authority of Newfoundland and
Labrador (CANAL). Estimates reflect activity during the full cruise
season and represents a departmental estimate of non-resident
individuals. This differs from overall passenger visits reported by
CANAL due to multiple port visits by some cruise ships.
- Cruise Expenditures is based on survey
data collected by the Economic Development and Tourism Department, City
of St. John’s. Expenditures reflect spending by passengers on
shopping, restaurants, dockside tours and shore excursions. The economic
impact associated with cruise ship visits to the province is much larger
and includes for example port fees and pilotage fees.
The Resident Numbers
Data Source:
-
C The province currently utilizes the Canada Travel Survey for estimating
in-province trips and expenditures by Newfoundland and Labrador residents.
-
C The 2001 Canada Travel Survey indicates that residents took 2, 901,000
overnight and same day trips with associated expenditures of $512.4 million.
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