Dear Brian
Confirmation of accredited official statistics status: Northern Ireland tourism statistics covering trips, nights and associated expenditure
In response to your request, we recently completed a compliance review of Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)’s tourism statistics. The tourism statistics are a compendium of official statistics including estimates on the number of overnight trips and day visits, associated expenditure, as well as other measures of travel activity in Northern Ireland.
Our review considered whether the statistics on trips, nights and associated expenditure included in the NISRA tourism statistics compendium comply with the standards of the Code of Practice and could be reinstated as accredited official statistics. We did not review the quality of the data sources used to estimate occupancy statistics. NISRA continues to publish occupancy in hotels as Accredited Official Statistics and other accommodation establishments as Official Statistics.
Based on the findings of the review, it is our view that the Northern Ireland tourism statistics, covering trips, nights and associated expenditure, comply with the standards of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be reinstated as accredited official statistics. We make three recommendations for enhancing the quality and value of the statistics.
I am grateful for the positive engagement from your team throughout the review and for their ongoing commitment to improving these statistics.
I am copying this letter to Dr Philip Wales, Chief Executive and Registrar General for Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
Yours sincerely,
Ed Humpherson
Director General for OSR
Related
Compliance review of Northern Ireland tourism statistics
Brian Green to Ed Humpherson: Request for reaccreditation of NISRA Tourism statistics (June 2025)
Siobhan Carey to Ed Humpherson: Temporary suspension of National Statistics designation for Northern Ireland tourism statistics (October 2020)