Big Data for Better Tourism Policy, Management, and Sustainable Recovery from COVID-19

By Asian Development Bank

Big data is already being used to measure, monitor, and manage tourism development, but its potential remains to be fully exploited. This report discusses the trends, opportunities, and challenges in using big data and digitalization in the tourism sector. It highlights how big data is being leveraged for COVID-19 recovery and examines its relationship with statistical frameworks to better measure the economic, social, and environmental impact of tourism. Case studies of partnerships in Asia and the Pacific between the public and private sector demonstrate ways to tap big data.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Asian Development Bank
• Release date: Dec 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9789292691363

Book preview

BIG DATA FOR BETTER TOURISM POLICY, MANAGEMENT, AND SUSTAINABLE RECOVERY FROM COVID-19

DECEMBER 2021

Co-publication of the Asian Development Bank and the World Tourism Organization.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 IGO license (CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO)

© 2021 Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)

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Some rights reserved. Published in 2021.

ISBN ADB 978-92-9269-135-6 (print); 978-92-9269-136-3 (electronic); 978-92-9269-137-0 (ebook)

Publication Stock No. SPR210438-2

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22617/SPR210438-2

ISBN UNWTO 978-92-844-2308-8 (print), 978-92-844-2309-5 (electronic)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18111/9789284423095

The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent, nor the views and policies of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) or its Secretariat.

ADB and UNWTO do not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accept no responsibility for any consequence of their use. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by ADB or UNWTO in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned.

By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term country in this document, neither ADB nor UNWTO intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinions whatsoever on the part of ADB or the Secretariat of the World Tourism Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

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Notes:

In this publication, $ refers to United States dollars.

ADB recognizes China as the People’s Republic of China; Korea as the Republic of Korea; and Macao as Macau, China.

On the cover: Beach in Chuuk State, in the Federated States of Micronesia. Many small island developing economies depend heavily on tourism. Photo by ADB.

Cover design by Mike Cortes.

CONTENTS

TABLES, FIGURES, AND BOXES

ABBREVIATIONS

FOREWORD

Tourism suffered the greatest crisis on record in 2020. International arrivals plunged by 73% as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted nearly all governments around the world to introduce a range of measures to restrict travel, including border closures to tourists.

One billion fewer international tourist arrivals for the year translates into an estimated loss of nearly $1.1 trillion in worldwide exports and over $2 trillion in direct tourism gross domestic product (GDP), more than 2% of the world’s GDP. The pandemic has also put more than 100 million direct tourism jobs at risk, with women, youth, and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises being the most vulnerable.

All world regions were affected, though the impact has been somewhat more pronounced in Asia and the Pacific. As the first region to experience the pandemic, it has recorded the largest decrease in arrivals, with 300 million fewer tourists welcomed last year when compared with 2019, a fall of 83%. This has placed a large number of livelihoods and businesses at risk, especially in destinations where tourism is a pillar of economic growth, such as small island developing states.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift toward digitalization and has highlighted the need for relevant and reliable data and intelligence to manage tourism. Only with these tools can we support recovery, guide decision-making, and inform future planning. Both governments and the private sector are looking to complement official statistics with big