Combining official ISTAT statistics and Vodafone mobile network data to better understand tourist presence and visitor flows

THE PROJECT

How can algorithms and mobile network data shape the future of tourism and mobility statistics?

Motion Analytica, in collaboration with ISTAT and Vodafone Business, helped develop an experimental project aimed at investigating key topics related to tourism and mobility through the use of Big Data.

CLIENT
ISTAT and Vodafone Business

MARKET
Tourism

ANALYSIS
Mobility flow and tourism analysis

This project was presented at the 14th National Statistics Conference (Rome, Nov. 30–Dec. 1, 2021), the main scientific event of the National Statistical System, where data producers and users have the opportunity to discuss the role and future developments of official statistics.

MAIN RESULTS

01.

Integrated tourism data analysis

The pilot project demonstrated how mobile network data can provide new analytical perspectives compared with official statistics, with results that are sometimes aligned and, in other cases, significantly different.

02.

Inbound tourism analysis

The methodology showed significant advantages in analysing international tourism in Italy, particularly thanks to the high level of territorial detail achievable compared with standard sampling procedures.

03.

Outbound tourism Analysis

For outbound tourism, the results highlighted that data derived from mobile network analytics are not directly comparable with some of the indicators produced through ISTAT survey methodologies.

04.

Methodological development

The differences identified will be further investigated and validated throughout the continuation of the project, contributing to the refinement and consolidation of the analytical methodology.

You can view the poster presented at the conference, containing all the details, here:

Download PDF

THE ANALYSIS

The goal of the project was to test the potential of telephone data in the production of official statistics on domestic, inbound (I.e. foreigners in Italy) and outbound (I.e. Italians abroad) tourism.

The analysis targeted 2 months of data at the municipal level for the areas of the city of Rome and the province of Rimini, which represent two locations in Italy with a strong vocation for tourism.

Research in these areas focused on two main aspects:

Arrivals, I.e. the number of telephone users who spend at least 6 hours between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. at the area.

Presences, I.e. from the sum of nights spent by tourists in the destination during the two months that have been analyzed.

Users were further categorized into:

Tourist (Italian or foreigner), i.e. a user that spends the night outside her usual place of residence.

Hiker/Visitor, I.e. a user who spends at least 3 hours during the day in the area, without spending the night there and without been a resident in the same or neighbouring municipalities.