Statistical Resources

This page is devoted to titles that are primarily statistical in nature. These focus on general international data and U.S. specific data.

Some resources are internet based while others are print. The print sources are particularly helpful for those who are doing any sort of historical research and need the titles before they may have moved online or need to identify titles that have not yet moved online. It includes sources for statistics for various sectors that relate to the travel and tourism industries. For some publishers like United States Travel Data Center (publishes Impact of Travel & Tourism on the U.S. and State Economies previously known as The Impact of Travel on State Economies), we do have older material in our collections, but some of the more current material may be digital only. There are also databases that do have statistics, so see the Subscription Databases and Internet Resources sections of this guide for additional resources.

If you are looking for more granular data related to a particular place, it is possible that state agencies and city departments or Convention and Visitors Bureaus will track data specific to their particular locale so you will need to look there as well. If you are interested in more detail for the Hospitality sector or for the airlines, Business has two guides Airlines & Commercial Aviation Research Guide and Hospitality Industry: Restaurants, Hotels, & Lodging Resource Guide, with more statistical sources.

Internet Resources

Bureau of Economic Analysis - Outdoor Recreation - Satellite Accounts
Measures the economic activity as well as the sales or receipts generated by outdoor recreational activities, such as fishing and RVing. These statistics also measure each industry’s production of outdoor goods and services and its contribution to U.S. GDP. Industry breakdowns of outdoor employment and compensation are also included.
Bureau of Economic Analysis - Travel and Tourism Satellite Account
This site focuses on money, the gross domestic product (GDP), and the economics of travel/tourism covering the period from 1998 to the present. In June 2019, the BEA announced it was discontinuing production of quarterly travel and tourism estimates. The Annual estimates published in June of "Survey of Current Business" will be produced.
The travel and tourism industry—as measured by the real output of goods and services sold directly to visitors. The BEA also posts various articles from its monthly publication Survey of Current Business. Data and analysis can be used for current information as well as historical research. For example:
January 1940 – Monthly Business Statistics table (see page 38)
June 2012 - "U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts for 2003–2011"
June 2007 - "Travel and Tourism Satellite Accounts for 1998-2006"
National Household Travel Survey
This is not an annual survey. Previous surveys conducted in 1969, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1995, 2001, and in 2009 (not all is on the web site). The most recent data is for 2017. It is the only source of national data that allows one to analyze trends in personal and household travel and includes daily commuting data as well as other travel. Data and presentation can change over time. An example of the older data, the 2001 version has tables: "Figure 12 - Proportion of Long-Distance Trips by Purpose" and "Table A-14 - Vehicle Occupancy Per Vehicle Mile by Daily Trip Purpose" and in 2006 the published "Long-Distance Travel" based on the 2001 survey. See also the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
National Park Service - Data by site
They do produce Visitor Use Statistics by park.
They do have preformatted queries for historical data (likely from their Statistical Abstract)
Query Builder for Historic Annual Recreation Visits (1904 - 1979)
Query Builder for Visitor Use Statistics (1979 - Last Calendar Year)
National Park Service - NPS Statistical Abstract
NPS Visitor Use Statistics Program maintains a large data set with annual recreation visit estimates from 1904-1978 and monthly visitation estimates from 1979 to present. Electronic database records for all inputs and outputs have been kept since the early 1990s. All Visitor Use Statistics data are housed within Integrated Resource Management Applications (IRMA) Portal.
National Travel & Tourism Office
The NTTO serves as the Secretariat for the Tourism Policy Council, an interagency committee within the Department of Commerce, established as a result of the Conference on Travel and Tourism (WHCTT) convened in 1995. It insures the nation's tourism interests are considered in Federal decision-making. The NTTO collects and publishes international travel and tourism statistics and other marketing information and represents the United States international travel and tourism interests. The site provides basic and monthly statistics, including data on inbound/outbound travel to and from the U.S.), as well as tourism policy and development, and the National Tourism Strategy. If you are looking for older material also search for National Travel and Tourism Office (or US Travel & Tourism Administration, United States Travel Service, and the independent US Travel Data Center.
It includes specific information like:
Survey of International Air Travelers Monthly Statistics
Inbound Travel To the U.S. - Provides some country of origin information as well as more detail for lodging, airline, package, etc. There is also attention to top destinations (city, state, regions).
Outbound Travel From the U.S. - Information on where Americans are going
OECD - Tourism External
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development analyzes and monitors policies and structural changes affecting the development of domestic and international tourism. They have their own Tourism Statistics Database and also an area to Measuring Competitiveness in Tourism they consider a toolkit and a guide. They also host international meetings/events. They have also gathered some Available online from COVID-19 External related resources and data.
Statistical Abstract
This source includes some industry sources that might prove useful such for historical resarch:
Summary of Travel Trends
Travel in the United States by Selected Trip Characteristics
Top States and Cities Visited by Overseas Travelers
Impact of International Travel on States Economies
International Travel
The official version of the Statistical Abstract has ceased with the publication of the 2012 version. However, the publisher ProQuest has picked up publishing in print as well as in the ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the U.S. database.
World Tourism Organization External
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO/OMT) is a specialized agency of the United Nations and serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and a practical source of tourism know-how. The About Us has links to the tourism cites/agencies for Member countries. Information on Tourism Satellite Account as well as Market Trends, Sustainable Development, etc. Under Communications there are links to the Publications of the organization. Titles they produce include:
Annuaire des statistiques du tourisme = Yearbook of tourism statistics = Anuario de estadísticas del turismo. Madrid
Compendium of Tourism Statistics
UNWTO Tourism Highlights (annual)
It frequently releases joint reports with the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the World Trade Organization including "Tourism, Trade and the WTO" External .
World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) External
The WTTC conducted research on the economic impact of Travel & Tourism in 185 countries and issues such as overcrowding, taxation, policy-making, and many others to raise awareness of the importance of the Travel & Tourism sector.
UNData External
The UN doss inbound and outbound data as well as industry and employment. Much of it doesn't begin until the mid 1990s.
UNStats External
This has data and other information. There is an historical component though various different types of scans. For example, a memorandum on International Tourism Statistics from March 1956 has data for where visitors were coming from and going to for 1953 and 1954. This is a place to access information by publication.

Print Resources

There are many titles that are of interest to people wanting to learn and study this industry. These are just a few. The following materials link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to digital content are provided when available.

Annuaire des statistiques du tourisme = Yearbook of tourism statistics = Anuario de estadísticas del turismo. by Organisation mondiale du tourisme
Call Number: G149 .I73
Published/Created: c1986 -
Holdings: 1947-
Previously known as World Tourism Statistics and World Travel Statistics. Statistiques du tourisme mondial. Estadisticas del tourismo mundial and International Travel Statistics (began in 1947 under the auspices of the International Union Of Official Travel Organisation).
Aviation Forecasts
Call Number: HE9803.A1 O36a
Some earlier edition are available online from Hathi Trust External
This is a fairly long running title and has been included for those that want to historical statistics and previous forecasts for commercial aviation and carriers. The FAA is publishing much of this on their web page.
Compendium of Tourism Statistics by World Tourism Organization
Call Number: G155.A1 T5896
Published/Created: 1986 -
International Marketing Data and Statistics by Euromonitor
Call Number: HA42 .I56
Published/Created: 1975-
This title has been included for those primarily doing historical research. Euromonitor still collects travel and tourism data but they have moved their information to their online product. The print version includes a chapter devoted to "Travel and Tourism," containing data on expenditures, length of stay, hotel occupancy, as well as data on tourist arrival by method and region. Other related information can be found in the "Automotive and Transport" chapter, which includes airline passenger traffic and other airline statistics and the "Consumer Expenditure" chapter, which has leisure and recreational statistics as well as statistics on hotels and catering. These statistics are arranged by country. A related title European Marketing Data and Statistics began publishing in 1962. This publisher is primarily publishing via the Internet now.
National Park Service Statistical Abstract by United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service
Call Number: SB482 .A1948
Available online from the Hathi Trust External
It continues Continues United States. National Park Service. Statistical abstract
OECD Tourism Trends and Policies
Call Number: G155.O27 T68
It examines the key tourism recovery challenges and outlook ahead, and highlights the need for co-ordinated, forward-looking policy approaches to set tourism on a path to a more resilient, sustainable and inclusive future. This continues Tourism in OECD countries. Electronic editions may be available though the OECD website. External
Oversea Travel and Travel Expenditures in the Balance of International Payments of the United States, 1919-38 by August Maffry
Call Number: G155.U6 A515
Published/Created: 1939
One of the first comprehensive treatment of travel to oversea countries by Americans or travel to the US by foreigner visitors. Part 1 is devoted to the nature and volume of overseas travel. There is a very brief look back to 1820 but it is mostly devoted to the 1919-1938 time period. There are statistics for citizen, alien resident, and alien visitor travel. There is also a look at seasonal traffic. Part 2 is oversea travel expenditures. There are many tables related to volume, expenditures, and passports.
Survey of International Travel by United States, Bureau of Foreign Commerce
Call Number: G155.U6 A515
Published/Created: 1956
Available online from Hathi Trust External
Available online from Hathi Trust External
Survey of International Travel: Supplement. 1957-1959 (G155.U6 A516).
The original Survey and the supplements look at U.S. travels abroad and foreign travelers to and within, the U.S. There is a heavy discussion of expenditures, but they often do touch on destinations and purposes of travel. There is also a bit of attention to Passport statistics. The original survey had two major sections with a number of Appendixes. Section 1 was foreign travel of Americans: volume, expenditures, destinations, state of origin, and passport information. Some of the tables look at destination, occupations, and means of travel. Section 2 was mostly expenditures, numbers, and application data. The most notable appendixes to note are B which were general statistics, excerpts from Oversea Travel and Travel Expenditures in the Balance of International Payments of the United States, 1919-38, and mention of some private studies that were of interest.

Tourism and Travel: A Research Guide

Statistical Resources

Internet Resources

Print Resources