Measure assessment template
See bottom of page for discussions relevant to this measure
Name of the
Tourist activities (working title)
measure
Report being
Our land domain report, 2018
assessed for
Proposed type  National Indicator
Framework
Pressure
Environmental  Resource use and management and other human activities
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reporting topic
Act
Source
The International Visitor Survey (IVS) - Ministry for Business, Innovation and
Employment
The database can be exported to csv:
http://nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz/wbos/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=TABLECODE7574#
Description
New Zealand’s natural environment is a key reason to visit for international visitors.
Increasing tourist numbers can put pressure on our environment and our national
parks.
Information
The International Visitor Survey (IVS) run by MBIE measures the travel patterns of
international visitors to New Zealand. The indicator informs the number of
international visitors participating in various attractions/activities international visitors
e.g. a national park, glacier visit, caving, a place that is significant to Maori, such as a
Official
landmark, remains of a Maori pa (fortified hill). This data is already available on the
database.
the
We could further breakdown the national park visits to individual national parks. For
example, for 2016 the number of respondents who visited a national park per quarter is
21,106 . This data isn’t available on the database, but the questionnaire indicates that
Withheld under this question is asked.
to fol ow up. Also need to find what variables and
section 9(2)(a)
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subgroups were changed in the 2013 change in methodology.
We could potential y breakdown the significant places to Maori. The questionnaire
indicates a breakdown by:  Visit a Maori marae (a Maori meeting place), See Maori
artefacts, art or crafts in an exhibition, See Maori art or crafts being created, Eat Maori
traditional food, Experience a Maori tradition, such as story-telling, Some other activity
associated with Maori culture.
Released
Variables include: places visited (by regional tourism organisation and by territorial
tourism organisation), activities/attractions (e.g. a national park, glacier visit, caving).
The time series is 1997 – 2016, although there was a change in methodology in 2013.
Therefore, we would need to note the change in methodology on the IW’s.
Proposed
• Activities participated in:
presentation
o
bar graph: activities along y-axis, and x-axis shows the % of visitors, plus
another column for the percentage change from previous year or since
2013 (see example: https://www.visitbritain.org/annual-survey-visits-

visitor-attractions-latest-results)
o
otherwise a table, bar graph, or stacked bar graph of activities visited to
show seasonal trend (x-axis: years, y-axis: percentage of international
visitors),
• A new webpage needs to be built
• New information needs to be prepared for the report.
Coverage
National, 2016
Methodology
Survey type:
(col ection &
• The International Visitor Survey is a sample survey of approximately 9,800
analyses)
international visitors to New Zealand aged 15 years or older per year, excluding
individuals whose purpose of visit to New Zealand was to attend a recognised
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educational institute, and are foreign-fee paying students. Act
Sampling:
• The International Visitor Survey draws its visitor sample based on measures of the
actual number of target population visitors who departed New Zealand from our
international airports over the survey time period in the previous year. Using actual
historical visitor departure information, time periods are randomly selected with
the probably of being selected based on the number of flights during that period –
periods with no flights will have no probability of being selected while those with a
Information
high number of flights have a high probability. For Auckland, Wel ington and
Queenstown airports two hour time periods are used, while for Christchurch
airport it is a four hour time period.
• Prior to July 2013, the sampling of the International Visitor Survey was ‘Flight
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based’ - a stratified cluster sample of departing international flights with quota
sampling of individual respondents.
the
Col ection process:
Uses a two part collection process. The first part involves screening departing visitors
during the selected time periods for eligibility and collecting email addresses. The
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second part, where the bulk of the information is captured, is via an on-line survey, a
link to which is sent to those eligible and agreeing to participate.
Weighting:
• Each respondent within the sample is weighted to represent their fraction of the
to
Released tal number of all international visitors departing New Zealand within the survey’s
target population.
• Survey response weights are adjusted to reflect the unequal probabilities of
respondent selection from the composition of the target population, and known
discrepancies between the sample and the population definitions.
More details are available: http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-
industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/ivs/about-the-ivs/ivs-methodology

A full list of classifications and definitions available: http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-
services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/ivs/about-the-ivs/ivs-
classifications-and-definitions
Quality Assurance:
StatsNZ have done an assessment of the IVS against the nine Tier 1 principles, available:
http://m.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/Tourism/review-mbie-
tourism-stats/ivs
Limitations to
Data reliability:
data & analysis • The IVS draws on a sample of 8,900 departing international visitors per year to
represent the behaviour of international visitors to NZ.
• The results from the International Visitor Survey are subject to measurement
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errors, including both sampling and non sampling errors. These errors should be
considered when analysing the results from the survey.
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More details are available: http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-
industries/tourism/tourism-research-data/ivs/about-the-ivs/ivs-data-reliability
Does not include Domestic Travel Survey which finished in 2012.
Changes to
The questionnaire and mode of delivery of the International Visitor Survey was
time series
significantly changed in July 2013. Comparisons of periods that span that time should
only be made with great caution. Every effort has been made to make the published
Information
aggregate series as consistent as possible and the expenditure series was carefully
backcast based on a six month dual run of the old and new methods; but for many
variables there is an inevitable break in the time series at July 2013
A full list of changes to the survey design since 2013 are provided in:
Official
http://www.mbie.govt.nz/info-services/sectors-industries/tourism/tourism-research-
data/ivs/documents-image-library/IVS-revision-20132013information-paper.pdf
the
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Further prompts for details that could be incorporated in the measure assessment template
Methodology
The objectives or main statistical purpose for which the data was originally collected
The titles of any classifications and standards that have been used.
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A definition of the target population (or target administrative set), a description of the survey
population (accessible administrative set) and a discussion of any differences between the two
•
Estimated size of target population (target administrative set, eg number of river reaches)
•
Size of survey population (accessible administrative set, eg number of measured river
reaches)
•
The selected sample size/detail on geographic coverage
Sample design information including the type of sample, stratification details, clustering, ultimate unit
selection method, and any other relevant sampling methodology information
The method used for data collection. For example face to face interview, satellites, monitoring
stations
Any quality control and processing done on the data to reduce errors, e.g. editing and imputation
Procedures, steps or error sources relevant to users of the data, e.g. filtering.
Confidentiality methodology used

Analytical methods (eg regression methods) used to produce data
An explanation of any imputation or non-response adjustment methodology.
Seasonal adjustment and trend methods used
Limitations
Sampling errors for key variables
Extent of non-sampling error
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Coverage rate for each data source or an assessment or statement on accuracy issues
related to frame or coverage error
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Measures of modelling error, e.g. goodness of fit tests, confidence intervals of model
parameters, modelled values, totals or other quantities of interest
•
Additional estimates of error where available e.g. validity error, measurement error,
processing error, imputation error
Conceptual differences between the target and operational measure, covering how well the
measure informs on the topic, e.g. missing information or key assumptions
A discussion of the comparability with any other data sources on the same theme
Changes to time
A discussion of the comparability over time, i.e. any changes in concepts, coverage, collection or
series
methodology from previous reference periods
Highlighting of any one off revisions or an explanation of any ongoing revisions
Any other important issues or events influencing the data
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16/06/2017
Act
Withheld under •
met to discuss the next steps.
section 9(2)(a) • IVS – team is not considering as an indicator at this stage, may consider using the Tourism
Satellite Account as Body of Evidence later.
The IVS output via NZ.Stat was compiled with a particular purpose (Tourism Satellite Account
http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/industry_sectors/Tourism/tourism-satellite-account-
2016.aspx ) which is too many steps removed from our purpose.
Information
The Tourism Satelitte Account is peer-reviewed in a sense (i.e. Stats put it through a QA for using it
as an input into the tourism Satellite Account) – but if this can be used as BOE needs to be decided
once the BOE approach has been finalised. Official
Previous discussions
the
DOC were disseminating national park visits using IVS data (http://www.doc.govt.nz/our-
work/monitoring-reporting/national-status-and-trend-reports-20152016/new-international-visitors-
survey-opens-opportunities/) , but it is better to use DOC administrative data.
under
Issues that were raised with IVS
• Methodology issues (response rate low, weighting issues)
• Indirect – proxy measure of a concept within a topic
Withheld under •
had initial concerns about relating IVS to environmental domains: The bottom line is
section 9(2)(a)
that there is widespread interest in measuring the impacts and pressures from tourism on
Released
the environment, but the questions that we are trying to answer are not yet defined and
therefore there is no established methodology. Hence, al there is comes under body of
evidence. There is no indicator because there are no agreed statistics or methods.

Document Outline