Methodology and Quality Update

Latest Update on Methodology and Quality

2025-10-09 

Statistical Presentation

Data description

The tourism establishments statistics present data on employees in tourism activities, in addition to indicators of tourist hospitality facilities at the level of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its administrative regions. 
The tourism establishments statistics are data collected on the main characteristics as follows:

•    Employees in tourism activities and their characteristics.
•    Room occupancy in tourist hospitality facilities.
•    Daily room rate in tourist hospitality facilities.
•    Length of stay in tourist hospitality facilities.

Data is also used to estimate: 
•    Contribution of employees in tourism activities to the total employees in the economy.
•    Contribution of employees in tourism activities to the total employees in the private sector.
•    Contribution of employees in tourism activities to the total employees in the public and private sectors (excluding domestic workers).

Classifications

The National Classification of Economic Activities (ISIC4) is applied to the statistics of tourism establishments:
It is a statistical classification based on the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC4) used to describe the productive activities of an establishment.
The classifications are available on the GASTAT’s website:
The National Classification for Economic Activities

Statistical concepts and definitions

Terms and concepts of tourism establishments statistics:
•    Statistical unit: 
The smallest independent part of the general framework, on which the statistical study is conducted, and has a fixed place, is used as a basis for data collection.
•    Establishment:
An economic unit with a legal entity and a fixed location where a specific economic activity is carried out, owned by an individual, a group of individuals, a company, or a semi-governmental sector. It is the smallest economic unit that can have data on employees and their financial compensation, expenditures, revenues, and capital formations.
•    Employees:
All individuals (Saudis and non-Saudis) who already do paid or unpaid work for the establishment, as well as the owners of the establishment or their relatives or workers, whether they are full-timers or part-timers, permanent or temporary employees, male or female. 
•    Compensation of employees payable: 
All amounts payable on a regular basis by the establishment to its employees during the year, including wages and salaries for normal working hours, fixed bonuses, as well as all types of benefits and allowances such as housing allowance, social insurance contributions, insurance, transport allowance, etc.
•    Salaries and wages:
All cash payments made regularly by the establishment to its employees for normal working hours and fixed bonuses, before any deductions by the employer for taxes, employees’ contributions to social insurance and pension systems, life insurance premiums, union fees, and other employee obligations.
•    Benefits and allowances: 
All cash and in-kind payments provided by the employer to employees, other than salaries and wages. These payments include all types of bonuses and benefits, such as scholarships, education, and medical expenses for employees and their dependents, as well as payments for food or housing, transport allowance, overtime allowance, etc.
•    Tourist hospitality facilities:
A place temporarily used by a tourist for accommodation in return for a fee.
•    Serviced apartments and other hospitality facilities:
Refers to all tourist hospitality facilities other than hotels and resorts, with serviced apartments being the most important among these categories. 
•    Tourist:
A tourist is a person who spends at least one night outside their usual environment.

Data sources

The tourism establishments statistics rely on several data sources, detailed as follows:
First source: Administrative records from the following entities:
•    Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
•    Ministry of Tourism.
The main published variables from the administrative data source are:

•    Number of employees in tourism activities.
•    Room occupancy rate in tourist hospitality facilities.
•    Average daily room rate in tourist hospitality facilities.
•    Average length of stay of guests in tourist hospitality facilities.

Second source: Statistical surveys, represented by the tourism establishments survey.
The main variables published from the source of statistical surveys are:
•    Number of employees in tourism activities.
Third source: The following secondary data:
•    Labor market administrative statistics.
•    Structural business statistics.
The main variables published from the secondary data source:
•    The contribution of employees in tourism activities to the total workforce in the economy.
•    The contribution of employees in tourism activities to the total workforce in the private sector.
•    Contribution of employees in tourism activities to the total employees in the public and private sectors (excluding domestic workers).

Designing the data collection tool

Steps for designing the questionnaire:
•    Defining objectives and indicators.
•    Identifying the target population.
•    Organizing the questions by sections.
Sections of the questionnaire :
•    Establishment data.
•     Employee data.
•    Operating expenses.
•    Operating revenues.
•    Change in assets and liabilities.    

Applied statistical estimation:
GASTAT has relied on the formulas approved by international standards in calculating the key indicators for the Tourism Establishments Statistics, as follows:
•    Room Occupancy Rate = (number of sold rooms / number of available rooms) x 100
•    Average Room Daily Rate = Room Revenue / Rooms Sold.
•    Average length of stay = Number of nights / number of guests.
•    Contribution of those employed in tourism activities to the total employed in the economy = (Number of those employed in tourism activities / (Number of those employed registered in the government sector + public sector + private sector + domestic labor sector)) * 100
•    Contribution of those employed in tourism activities to total employment in the private sector = (number of those employed in tourism activities / number of registered employees in the private sector) * 100

Questionnaire test (cognitive test)

The cognitive testing was conducted on several of the questionnaire’s questions, based on the pillars of cognitive testing. Several observations were recorded related to the following pillars: wording, comprehension, response options, and measurement of disclosure feasibility. Accordingly, the final questionnaire was re-engineered.

Statistical population

The statistical population of the tourism establishments statistics survey consists of all establishments engaged in tourism economic activities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia within the business frame. This frame serves as the list containing all units of the target population for this survey and for other economic surveys conducted by the General Authority for Statistics. It includes the classification of all establishments by economic activity at multiple levels, as well as establishment size, administrative regions, and other basic data used in constructing various economic samples. The sampling frame is considered the list of all establishments that meet the survey conditions specified by the responsible administration.

Sample Design

The sample was designed using the stratified systematic random sampling method, in which a systematic random sample of establishments was selected for each stratum of the adopted sampling design.
Stratification:
To increase the efficiency of the sample and improve its representation of the target population, establishments in the sampling frame were classified into homogeneous strata. To obtain more accurate results compared to a simple random sample of the same size, and to provide a sufficient number of establishments at publishable levels, the stratification was applied across three levels as follows: 
•    Stratification at the fourth-level classification of economic activity (ISIC4).
•    Stratification at the level of administrative regions.
•    Stratification by establishment size categories, which are:
-   Micro enterprises: Establishments with 1 to 5 employees.
-    Small enterprises: Establishments with 6 to 49 employees.
-    Medium enterprises: Establishments with 50 to 249 employees.
-    Large enterprises: Establishments with more than 249 employees.
Size of sample:

The sample size was calculated at the level of each stratum h of the study domain (economic activity at the 4-digit level [division] of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities, ISIC4). 
Subsequently, the calculated sample size for each study domain (economic activity at the 4-digit level [division] of ISIC4) was distributed across establishment size classes and then across administrative regions using the probability proportional to size (PPS) allocation method. This method of allocation reduces the variance of weighting factors, thereby decreasing the variance of estimates and increasing the efficiency of the design. In addition, the sample size was adjusted at the study domain level to ensure a minimum acceptable number of establishments, in order to obtain sufficient response rates for producing accurate estimates of the target indicators. Furthermore, all medium and large establishments were included in the sample with a 100% probability due to their importance.

The calculations outlined above resulted in a total sample size of 38,132 establishments, distributed as shown in the tables below:

Table1: Distribution of the survey sample at the 1-digit level (section) of the International Standard Industrial Classification of Economic Activities (ISIC4).

Statistical unit (sampling unit)

The statistical unit in the tourism establishments statistics survey is the establishment.

Data collection

Data collection from the survey:
Data for statistical surveys is collected through computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI), computer-assisted web interviews (CAWI), and computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI).
Data collection from administrative records:
The data are collected from administrative records in coordination with the Authority’s departments responsible for data collection and management. The administrative records for the tourism establishments statistics publication are obtained from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development and the Ministry of Tourism. These records include data on the number of establishments, the number of employees in tourism activities, and indicators of tourist hospitality facilities. 
These data are stored in the Authority’s databases after verification and review processes in accordance with approved statistical methods and recognized quality standards, with reference to the data source in case errors are detected or comments on the data arise.

Data collection frequency 

The data collection process for the tourism establishments statistics is carried out on a quarterly basis.

Reference area

Tourism establishments statistics cover the 13 administrative regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Reference period (time reference)

All data related to the tourism establishments statistics are based on the first day of the quarter through the last day of the reference quarter.

Base period

Not applicable.

Measurement unit

•    Most results are measured by numbers (e.g., number of employees).
•    Some indicators are calculated as rates (e.g., room occupancy rate).
•    Some results are calculated as percentages (e.g., Contribution of employees in tourism activities to the total employees in the economy).

Time coverage

The data are available from 2010 until the current quarter of 2025.

Publication frequency

The results of the tourism establishments statistics are published on a quarterly basis in accordance with the approved statistical plan.

Statistical processing

Error detection

A set of validation rules was established on the survey questionnaire to ensure data quality and accuracy. These rules have been classified as follows:
•    Number of error rules: 28 rules.
•    Number of alert rules: 12 rules.
•    Number of navigation rules: 11 rules.
These rules are designed to detect potential errors, notify respondents when unusual values are entered, and ensure a smooth flow throughout the questionnaire.
Data are reviewed and matched to ensure their accuracy and precision in a way that suits their nature, with the aim of giving the presented statistics quality and accuracy. 
The data of the current quarter for publication are compared with the data of the previous quarter to ensure their accuracy and consistency during the preparation phase for data processing, extraction, and review of results.
In addition to the data processing and tabulation to check their accuracy, all the outputs are stored and uploaded to the database after being calculated by GASTAT to be reviewed and processed by specialists in Tourism, Hajj, and Umrah Statistics Department through modern technologies and software designed for this purpose.

Data integration and matching from multiple sources 

When preparing the tourism establishments statistics, the data received from different sources are integrated and reconciled based on unified methodologies and standards to ensure consistency and accuracy. International and national standard classifications of economic activities (such as the National Classification of Economic Activities) are used to standardize the coding of tourism activities and link them across various databases. Unified methodologies are also applied in defining the statistical unit and determining the main activity, which contributes to reducing variation between sources and improving comparability. This structured approach helps seamlessly integrate administrative records and statistical surveys and produce consistent and reliable indicators that reflect the actual situation of tourism establishments.

Imputation and calibration

To ensure the quality and accuracy of the Tourism Establishments Statistics, a set of methodological procedures was implemented to address incomplete data and verify consistency across different sources.
The data processing was carried out in two main stages according to the type of data source, as follows:
First: Statistical Survey Data.
Missing numeric values were handled using a statistical imputation method, where the missing values were estimated based on the mean within each category or similar tourism activity, ensuring statistical consistency and maintaining the accuracy of indicators derived from the survey results.
Second: Administrative Records Data.
The data were reviewed to verify logical and temporal consistency and compared with historical time series to ensure trend and value alignment. In cases where missing or inconsistent values were detected, the survey results were used to impute the data, achieving integration across data sources and enhancing the reliability of the final results.

Seasonal adjustments

The impact of seasonal variations in the activities of tourism establishments is addressed by comparing the results with the same period of the previous year to ensure a more accurate interpretation of changes, with the possibility of applying statistical methods for seasonal adjustment when needed.

Adjustment of preliminary results 

Some results are initially published in the quarterly publication and are subsequently subject to revision and update when more comprehensive data becomes available or after the completion of auditing processes. Any differences between the preliminary and final results are documented for users.

Used Resources

Quality dimensions

Suitability

A standard that measures the extent to which the product meets the needs of users.

User needs 

Internal users at the General Authority for Statistics of tourism establishments statistics data:

•    Statistics of national accounts.
•    Business, investment, and international trade statistics.

Several external users and beneficiaries who greatly rely on Tourism establishment statistics data, including:

•    Government entities.
•    Regional and international organizations.
•     Research institutions.
•    Media. 
•    Individuals. 

The disseminated key variables that mostly used by external users: 

Completeness 

Tourism establishments statistics data are based on several sources, including administrative records, statistical surveys, and secondary data, in order to provide comprehensive information on tourism activities in the Kingdom, with data in complete form.

Accuracy and reliability

A standard that measures how close the calculations or estimates are to the exact or true values that reflect reality.

Overall accuracy

•    Data is checked with previous years to identify any significant changes in the data.
•    The internal consistency of the data is checked before it is finalized.
•    The correlation between variables is examined, and the consistency among different data series is verified.

Timeliness and punctuality 

A standard that measures the time gap between the availability of information and the occurrence of the event.
However, timeliness reflects the time difference between the date of data publication and the target date when it is actually published.

Timeliness 

The General Authority for Statistics is committed to applying internationally recognized standards regarding the announcement, clarification of the time of publishing statistics on its official website, as outlined in the statistical calendar, as well as adhering to the announced time of publication. In the event of any delay, updates will be provided accordingly. 

Punctuality 

The publication is released according to the dates specified in the statistical calendar for tourism establishments statistics, as published on the website of the General Authority for Statistics.
The data are available at the expected time, as scheduled in the statistical release calendar. If the publication is delayed, reasons shall be provided.

Coherence and comparability

Statistics should be consistent internally and over time, and logically interconnected across scope and statistical domains, meaning that data should be comparable across regions and countries as well as across different time periods for the same region, and data from diverse sources can be combined and used interchangeably.

Comparability - geographical

The data are internationally and locally comparable at the level of administrative regions in the Kingdom, as they are based on unified statistical standards and classifications.

Comparability - over time 

Tourism establishments statistics began in 2010 as annual statistics, and the following are the major changes that have occurred in recent years:
•    2010 - 2016: 
The statistics are primarily based on the results of the economic survey of establishments.
•    2016 - 2018: 
The statistics are primarily based on the results of the tourism establishments survey.
•    2019 - 2020:
The statistics primarily rely on administrative records and statistical modeling, due to the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
•    2021 - 2022:
The statistics are based on administrative records and the results of the tourism establishments survey. 
•    2023: 
The statistics are based on administrative records, statistical surveys, and secondary data, and during this year, the statistics have been converted into quarterly publications.

Coherence- Cross domain

Tourism establishments statistics data are characterized by consistency across the different administrative regions, as the same definitions, concepts, and classifications are applied. It is also verified that the data collected from all sources are subject to standardized auditing procedures to ensure comparability across administrative regions and tourism activities. 

Coherence- Sub-annual and annual statistics 

The results of the quarterly publication show a high degree of consistency with the published annual results, as the same definitions, concepts, and classifications are applied. In cases where differences exist between the quarterly and annual estimates, they are mostly attributed to subsequent updates or the comprehensiveness of coverage, and they are documented for users.

Coherence- National Accounts 

The publication data are integrated with the requirements of national accounts through the adoption of recognized economic classifications (such as the International Standard Industrial Classification, ISIC). The results of this publication are also used as inputs in estimating the contribution of the tourism sector to GDP within the framework of the national accounts. In addition, coordination is carried out with national accounts statistics to ensure consistency between the publication results and the macroeconomic indicators.

Coherence- Internal 

Tourism establishments survey estimates have full internal coherence, as they are all based on the same corpus of microdata, and they are calculated using the same estimation methods.

Accessibility and clarity

The ability for users to access data, the availability of accurate or complete data, and the availability of a methodology and quality report.

Press releases

The announcements for each publication are available on the statistical calendar as mentioned in 10.1. The press releases can be viewed on the website of GASTAT on the link: 
Press release

Publications

GASTAT issues Tourism Establishment Statistics publications and reports regularly within a pre-prepared dissemination plan, and they are published on GASTAT’s website. The Authority is keen to publish its results in a manner that serves all types of users, including publications in various formats containing data tables and charts of data and indicators, the methodology and quality report, and the questionnaires used. in both English and Arabic.
The results of the tourism establishments statistics are available on:
Tourism establishments statistics

On-line database

Not available.

Microdata accessibility

Not available.

References and standards

 The General Authority for Statistics adopts a unified methodology in carrying out all its statistical work, according to the nature of each statistical product.  It relies on the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM), which aligns with the procedures adopted by international organizations, and is implemented in coordination with relevant authorities to ensure the quality and efficiency of statistical operations. For more details, you can refer to the Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM) via the following link:
Generic Statistical Business Process Model (GSBPM)
The concepts, definitions, issues, and classifications are based on international standards from the World Tourism Organization of the United Nations, represented by:
International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008:
It is the guiding framework and comprehensive methodological reference for collecting and producing tourism statistics in all countries regardless of the level of development of their statistical systems, and it serves as the recognized statistical reference for tourism statistics.
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/publication/seriesm/seriesm_83rev1e.pdf
International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 (compilation guide) :
It is the compilation guide that provides further clarifications and practical guidance on the use of sources and methods for compiling tourism statistics. It is designed to support the production of a high-quality set of core data and indicators in each country, and to enhance the international comparability of tourism statistics.
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/tourism/publications/E-IRTS-Comp-Guide%202008%20For%20Web.pdf
Tourism Satellite Account: Recommended Methodological Framework 2008:
It is the methodological guide for constructing the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) in countries, providing comprehensive details for measuring both the demand and supply sides of tourism and deriving indicators of tourism’s economic contribution.
seriesf_80rev1e.pdf 
Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism 2024 (Final Draft):
It is an internationally agreed framework that describes the key concepts, definitions, and data organization structures to support the production and organization of data on the impacts and dependencies of tourism on the economy, society, and the environment.
bg-4a-sf-mst-e.pdf 
Measuring Employment in the Tourism Industries 2014:
It is an international framework that sets out the concepts, definitions, and methodologies for measuring the volume of tourism-related employment, with the aim of providing accurate data to support policies and sustainable development.
https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/epdf/10.18111/9789284416158

Quality assurance

GASTAT considers the following principles: Impartiality, ensuring that the statistical product is user-oriented, maintaining the quality of processes and outputs, enhancing the effectiveness of statistical operations, and reducing the burden on respondents. 
Data is validated through procedures and quality controls that are applied during the process at various stages, such as: (data entry, data collection, and other final controls).

Quality assessment

GASTAT performs all statistical activities according to a national model (Generic Statistical Business Process Model – GSBPM). According to the GSBPM, the final stage of statistical activities is overall evaluation using information gathered in each stage or sub-process. This information is used to prepare the evaluation report, which outlines all the quality issues related to the specific statistical activity and serves as input for improvement actions.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality - Policy

According to Royal Decree No. 23 dated 07/12/1379, data must always be kept confidential, and must be used by GASTAT for statistical purposes only.
Therefore, the data is protected in the data servers of GASTAT.

Confidentiality - Data Treatment

Data of SMEs survey are presented in right tables in order to summarize, understand, as well as extract their results. Moreover, to compare them with other data, and to obtain statistical significance about the selected study population. However, referring to such data indicated in tables is much easier than going back to check the original questionnaire that may include some data like: names and addresses of individuals, and names of data providers, which violates data confidentiality of statistical data.
“Anonymity of data” is one of the most important procedures. To keep data confidential,
GASTAT removed information on individual persons, households, or business entities such a way that the respondent cannot be identified either directly such as: (name, address, contact number, identity number etc.) or indirectly (by combining different - especially rare - characteristics of respondents) such as: (age, occupation, education etc.).

Dissemination policy

Statistical calendar

Tourism Establishment Statistics are included in the statistical calendar. 
Statistical Calendar

User access

One of GASTAT’s objectives is to better meet its clients' needs, so it immediately provides them with the publication's results once the tourism establishment statistic publication is published.
It also receives questions and inquiries from clients about the publication and its results through various communication channels, such as:
•    GASTAT official website: www.stats.gov.sa
•    GASTAT official e-mail address:  info@stats.gov.sa
•    Client support e-mail address:  info@stats.gov.sa
•    Official visits to GASTAT’s official head office in Riyadh or one of its branches in Saudi Arabia.
•    Official letters.
•    Statistical telephone: (199009).