How to build and develop China's tourism data system

The indicator system should be unified. The indicator system of tourism data must be unified across the country so that it can effectively reflect the current situation and trend of the entire tourism industry and the development of each place. If provinces and cities adopt inconsistent indicator systems, the data will not be able to be summed up, and will not reflect the overall situation of the country, and will not be able to make horizontal and vertical comparisons between provinces based on statistical data. For example, if Sichuan implements one set of data indicator system, Hunan implements another set, and Beijing implements another set of indicator system, each system is different from the other, so it is impossible to be compatible. The data systems of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities are fighting with each other, which will inevitably lead to the inability to make horizontal comparisons between the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, not to mention the measurement of the overall level of tourism development and development trends in the country.

The names, connotations and extensions of statistical indicators should be consistent. This is like railroad tracks, Vietnam's railroad track is only 1 meter wide meter track, while our country is 1.435 meters wide international standard railroad track, due to our country and Vietnam's railroad track standards are not the same, our railroad transportation with Vietnam will not be able to directly connect the railroad track, the border crossing has to be unloaded, change the car, not to mention the delay, but also prone to errors. Statistical indicators are similar to railroad track standards, and if the standards of different provinces and cities are not the same, there is no way to effectively connect with each other. Railroads can still change tracks, but the data from different standards are difficult to integrate. If the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities plus the Corps each establish their own set of data indicators, different calibers between each other, the organization of data collection is different, the data obtained will be difficult to use, and may even be garbage data. That's why we're conducting a national training this afternoon. Through the training, we want to create awareness and understanding, and ultimately establish uniform statistical indicators.

The importance of tourism data and the need for a unified data system must be effectively recognized at the top and bottom. The situation of carrying out tourism data work varies among provinces and cities, and there are obvious imbalances. Some places have a better foundation for their work, such as the Sichuan Tourism Commission, while some provinces and cities have a weak foundation. Some places do not yet recognize the importance of tourism data, and consider it dispensable and insignificant. In this case to do a good job in the new era of tourism is very difficult. Home base is not clear, the situation is not clear, where to do where, that is a blind team, and the blind team is certainly not win. We need to recognize the importance of tourism data and at the same time understand the need for a unified data system. This is the first thing we need to address in this training.

Two, scientific application

Indicator settings should be scientific and standardized. Statistical indicators should be set with theoretical support. Mere numbers are boring and even meaningless, and the numbers cannot be separated from the guidance of theories in order to become a vital and meaningful data system. These theories come from economics, sociology and some other disciplines, especially economics. In the case of GDP, for example, this indicator has evolved step by step from national income to gross domestic income in a long and complex process after World War II. This is not a simple alternation of terms, but an update of the indicator that comes with the evolution of economics. Tourism data also need to be based on economics; data divorced from its economic meaning is inconceivable and meaningless. In this sense, it can be said that statistics is a branch of economics. Data is the product of theory, but also the basis of theory, theoretical research and data production are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Therefore, the National Tourism Administration puts the data center in the Tourism Research Institute in the hope that with this theoretical research base, it can realize the leap from figures to data and achieve the combination of theory and data.

Indicators should be constructed to meet the needs of reality. Data indicators with theoretical support is necessary, but only theory is not enough, the data should also be able to explain and explain the reality, can not be disconnected from reality. At present, the theoretical model of the western economics community to engage in more and more complex, piled up a variety of mathematical models, and even the need for mathematics and physics PhDs turned to do economics, research and development models. The theoretical model is complex enough, mysterious enough, but can not explain many financial phenomena on Wall Street, which loses the value of the model should be. A few years ago, some economics majors in prestigious American colleges and universities boycotted economics, partly because its overly complex, esoteric economics models are getting farther and farther away from economic reality. The construction of tourism statistics system should take this as a lesson, not only from the theory, but also can not be too theoretical, must be close to reality, to adapt to the needs of reality.

The selection of tourism statistics indicators should be appropriate and moderate, neither too wide nor too narrow. Too broad to lead to the implementation of the practical, like checking the human body, all organs of the body at once all parts of the check of course is good, but there is no such conditions and necessary? If a comprehensive inspection is necessary, it is a question of what tools and means should be used to realize it. At the same time, too broad an indicator may bring too general a description, making it difficult to present the more subtle aspects of the tourism economy. In turn, statistical indicators should not be too narrow, too narrow statistical indicators can not reflect the industry's macro situation, is not conducive to macro decision-making, is not conducive to the sector's grasp of the overall picture of the tourism industry.

Three, methodological innovation

Practically speaking, few people will be innovation linked to the field of statistics, many people think that innovation is only scientific and technological activities. In fact, it is not, the field of data precisely need innovation. For a long time, due to the statistical work in the tourism sector is not valued, that the data is dispensable, data work is in a marginalized position, resulting in the field of innovation lagging behind. In fact, the data center is equivalent to the eyes of the general staff, which is related to the success or failure of the battle. Tourism departments at all levels must truly realize that statistics is not an optional work, nor is it a simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division can be completed, but a systematic project that requires continuous innovation in concepts, methods and means.

Innovation of statistical concepts. Statistics and data is not just a difference in designation, the latter also contains in the connotation, methodology, etc. within the progress of innovation. 41 years ago, that is, in 1975, I as a statistician of the people's commune, but also the most grass-roots level of the statistical position, began to engage in statistical work. At that time, there were at least one hundred indicators of economic and social statistics that our country needed to know from the grassroots level, and the statistical indicators were set in a very detailed way, so it could be said that they included all aspects of production and life at that time. A commune is actually a cell of the country, and there are all kinds of indicators, including chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, poultry and eggs, and even a period of time when the Revolutionary Great Criticism articles were also in the scope of statistics. Taking rice-planting as an example, rice-planting reports were divided into ten-day and monthly reports, and the task of rice-planting had to be completed in the Yangtze River Basin before August 1, and any later would be a mistake in farm time. Some communes are aware of the need to look ahead, and their reports are logical. Some communes are not, only focus on the performance of work enthusiasm, not look at the actual progress, before July 10, the rice-planting acres reported, making a joke. In fact, the rice seedlings have not yet been planted, the report is completed, this kind of statistics is a pat on the head out. Of course, statistics at that time was a product of the times, the entire theoretical and methodological basis and statistical means are very elementary. In the past, we only talked about statistics, not data, and the biggest difference between the two is that the latter has made great innovations in theory and methodology. That is why we named the statistical work department of NTA as Data Center instead of Statistics Center. Obviously, the past set of statistics system which is all about statistics and no data is no longer applicable in the new era.

Innovation of statistical means. We have technically gone through the process from the abacus to a small calculator, to the computer, and then to the Internet. Now is not the primary stage of the Internet, but the era of "Internet +". Along with the continuous progress of computing means, we should also have corresponding innovation in statistical means. The China Tourism Industry Operation and Construction Platform built by the National Tourism Administration, the data collection is not like the past by asking one household at a time, but relying on cell phone signals to determine, which is a method of tourism data collection in the new era. This kind of big data may not be accurate to how many digits behind the decimal point, but it does reflect the macro development trend, is of high reference value. It must be seen that the current method is not perfect, with the development of practice, is bound to raise new issues, only with the times, continuous innovation, in order to adapt to the new situation.

Basic theory innovation. Our data system should be supported by theory, which is the basic theory. In fact, the basic theory should keep pace with the times and continue to innovate. As for the contribution of Chinese tourism to the national economy, according to the figures given by the Bureau of Statistics, it is only 4.5 percent, less than 5 percent. However, the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) gives a figure of more than 10%. The international average is about 10 percent. As the second largest economy, is China even below the average? This shows that our relevant statistical theories are lagging behind, and we are still stuck in the primary stage of statistical thinking and theoretical level of the planned economy era. At that time, there was no in-depth integration between industries, but now that the economy is highly developed and the degree of industrial integration is deepening, the statistics based on traditional statistical thinking and theory are no longer applicable to the current development reality. Taking rural tourism as an example, agriculture and tourism are both mine and yours, and their output should not be unilaterally attributed to agriculture or tourism alone. The same is true for industrial tourism, sports tourism, educational tourism and so on. Similar to this situation requires us to innovate in the relevant statistical theory.

Four, cooperation and integration

The previous talk about the modern industrial economy of a variety of integration, inevitably require tourism statistics and tourism data to be integrated with other industries, such as with agriculture, forestry sector data, and the transportation sector of the aviation, railroads, highways and water transport data. Industrial tourism is inseparable from the cooperation with industry, popular science tourism base is inseparable from the scientific research system, tourism data collection and processing needs to be connected with these related departments, the establishment of cooperative relations. Some provinces and cities are more accurate in the economic contribution rate of tourism industry, while others are not, the reason lies in not doing a good job in the data construction of the convergence work. Rural tourism data is not only as agricultural output, part of which should be categorized as tourism output, which requires data convergence between tourism and agriculture. For industrial integration of tourism data statistics, there is no set of unchanged statistical system and statistical methods that can be universally applicable. This is especially true in today's society, where the division of labor is so well developed. We must start with the groundwork to promote the construction of the tourism data system today, especially the need to establish a linkage working mechanism with the statistical system of related industries.

Fifth, the world vision

To dock with the world data system. At present, some comrades have not yet recognized the importance and necessity of tourism data work, data construction is a long way to go. Our data work not only need to establish a unified system in the country, but also to consider from the outset with international standards, otherwise our data can not be exchanged on the international stage and dialogue, people do not understand what we say, we do not understand what people say. In the process of building a tourism data system, it is necessary to consider the specificity of China's tourism development, but also the generality of international tourism data, in order to realize the global level of unimpeded exchanges and international comparisons. In turn, we can capitalize on our strengths and avoid our weaknesses, better provide data support for the development of China's tourism industry, and continuously improve the discourse and influence of China's tourism industry in the international arena.

To become passive to active. International docking is not only to be barrier-free communication and international comparisons, but more importantly to become passive to active. We should have this ambition, in the near future, we want to make China's voice in the field of world tourism data, in the construction of the indicator system to grasp the right to speak. To this end, there should be corresponding plans and guarantees, among which, it is very important not only to analyze our own data, but also to collect, analyze and even release tourism data from countries all over the world. We are mulling over the idea of setting up a non-government international tourism organization to establish a mechanism for collecting, analyzing and releasing tourism data from various countries, so as to learn from the international experience and at the same time, to make our own voice heard. Once the national and local tourism data centers are built, there will be a foundation for this work. Although this project seems to be very difficult and a long way from realizing this goal, I believe that as long as we work hard and work hard and work hard, it will not take long for us to achieve it. We must have the ambition and confidence!

Sixth, talent security

The above said so many realistic needs and ideal expectations, and ultimately rely on talent to realize. Tourism data system in the construction process, talent is always the first. First of all, our talent team needs to be greatly strengthened, although it will take time for the spark to become a prairie fire, but this talent team should have the ambition of the national tourism data builders, but also have the ambition to influence the global tourism data. Secondly, there should be appropriate theoretical knowledge and practical experience to support. Last year, the "515 strategy", there is a 10,000 tourism talent program, can take out a certain percentage for the training of data talent, to provide financial, intellectual and work platform, and other aspects of support. Now there should be a clear goal to train a group of professionals, from the undergraduate and master's level to start training the relevant talents needed in the next five years, ten years, twenty years, you can select a few universities for the pilot, purposeful cultivation of specialists in the construction of tourism data.