Tourism in Europe Nights & Arrivals Data Entry Instructions

1. Why Europes Tourism Statistics Matter

Europe remains the worlds most visited continent, attractingover 750million international arrivals each year. Accurate statistics on nights spent (overnight stays) and arrivals (number of visitors) are essential for:

• Policymaking and funding allocation by national tourism boards.
• Marketing strategies for destinations, airlines and accommodation providers.
• Monitoring the impact of events, seasonality and emerging trends such as sustainable tourism.

The data you enter will feed into the European Travel Statistics (ETS) database, supporting reports published by Eurostat and the UNWTO.

2. Key Concepts and Definitions

2.1 Arrivals

An arrival is counted when a nonresident tourist enters a European country for a stay of at least one night. The same person can be counted multiple times if they arrive in different countries during the reporting period.

2.2 Nights

A night represents a single overnight stay in any accommodation type (hotel, hostel, Airbnb, campsite, etc.). The total nights for a destination equals the sum of nights recorded for all visitors.

2.3 Residence

Residence refers to the country where the visitor is officially registered. For EU citizens, the country of registration is used even if they live abroad for work or study.

2.4 Reporting Period

The standard reporting period is the calendar year (January1December31). Some national agencies also provide quarterly or monthly breakdowns.

3. Data Entry Workflow

3.1 Prepare Your Source Files

• Download the latest source spreadsheet from the national tourism office (usually .xlsx or .csv).
• Make sure the file contains columns for: Country, Region/City, Month, Arrivals, Nights, Residence.
• Check that numbers are stored as integers without commas or currency symbols.

3.2 Open the Data Entry Portal

Log in to the European Tourism Statistics Portal (ETSP) using your assigned username and password. Navigate to Data Entry Night & Arrival Statistics 2025 (or current year).

3.3 Selecting the Destination

1. Use the dropdown menu to choose the Country. A secondary menu will populate with Regions/Cities.
2. If the destination is not listed, click Add new location and fill in:
   • Official name (as per Eurostat NUTS classification)
   • ISO31662 code
   • Geographic coordinates (optional)

3.4 Entering Arrivals

• Locate the row for the appropriate month.
• Enter the total number of arrivals in the Arrivals field.
• If the source provides a range (e.g., 1215k), use the midpoint and add a note in the Comments field.

3.5 Entering Nights

• Input the total nights recorded for the same month.
• When nights are reported as average length of stay (LOS), calculate nights as:
  Arrivals LOS
• Round to the nearest whole number.

3.6 Specifying Residence

Choose the visitors country of residence from the list. If the source aggregates several countries (e.g., EU27), select the appropriate group code.

3.7 Validation Checks

After data entry, click Validate. The system will flag:

• Negative numbers
• Arrivals exceeding nights (unless LOS<1 day, which is unlikely)
• Missing mandatory fields

Resolve any warnings before proceeding.

3.8 Saving and Submitting

Click Save Draft regularly. When the file is complete, press Submit for Review. A confirmation email will be sent to your registered address.

4. Common Data Issues & How to Resolve Them

4.1 Duplicate Entries

Duplicates often arise when both national and regional datasets are uploaded. Crosscheck the Source ID column; keep only the most granular record.

4.2 Inconsistent Units

Some sources report in thousands. Convert by multiplying by 1,000 before entry. Mark the conversion in the Comments field.

4.3 Missing Residence Data

If residence is not specified, use the default code ZZ (unknown) and add a note explaining the omission.

4.4 Seasonal Peaks

High tourist peaks (e.g., August in Mediterranean coastal towns) may cause unusually high nightstoarrivals ratios. Verify that the LOS calculation is correct; a ratio above 15 can indicate a data entry error.

5. Sample Data Entry Table

Use the table as a visual reference while you fill in the portal forms.

6. Submission Timeline

• Monthly data: Submit by the 10th of the following month.
• Quarterly aggregates: Submit by the 20th of the month after quarter end.
• Annual summary: Due by 31March of the next year.

Late submissions may be excluded from the next Eurostat release.

7. Help and Support

If you encounter technical difficulties:

• Visit the ETSP Help Center for stepbystep tutorials.
• Open a support ticket via the Contact Us link; include the dataset name and a screenshot of the error.
• Call the Eurostat Data Entry Hotline: +33140869193 (Weekdays9am5pm CET).

8. Closing Remarks

Accurate, timely entry of nights and arrivals data ensures that Europes tourism statistics remain reliable and comparable across countries and years. Your attention to detail supports policy makers, businesses, and researchers in shaping a vibrant and sustainable tourism sector.

Thank you for your commitment to data quality.