IUOTO - INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL STATISTICS PAGE 1 NOTES

DEFINITIONS AND APPLICATION OF TERMS
Introduction

In this publication the application of the terms "visitor"
"tourist", "excursionist", etc., has been carried out in
accordance with the definitions of these terms as recommended
by the United Nations Conference on International Travel and
Tourism, Rome 1963. The historical background and details of
these definitions are presented below.

The broad classification of statistics supplied by the
countries and territories included has thus been carried out by
IUOTO on a uniform basis; however, within individual country
statistics, there may exist minor differences of coverage which
result from the adoption of differing definitions by those
countries. Therefore, in general, tourist arrivals, as given
in this publication, may be compared from country to country
(with due allowance being made for comparisons of accommodation
and frontier tourist arrivals).

A short note on the definitions employed by individual
countries will be found in each page entry by country.

Historical note concerning travel statistics
The Committee of Statistical Experts of the League of
Nations, 1937
In an Appendix to the Report of the Committee of Statistical
 Experts of the League of Nations, which was submitted to
the Council on 22 January 1937, the Committee recommended the
following definitions of a tourist:

2.

To secure the compatibility of international tourist statistics,
 the term "tourist" shall, in principle, be interpreted
 to mean any person travelling for a period of
twenty-four hours or more in a country other than that in
which he usually resides. The Committee decided that the
following were to be regarded as tourists:
Persons travelling for pleasure, for domestic reasons,
 for health, etc.

(ii)

(iii)

Persons travelling to meetings, or in a representative
 capacity of any kind (scientific, administrative,
 diplomatic, religious, athletic, etc.).

Persons travelling for business purposes.

VOL. 24 - 1970