ABSTRACT
Data for tourism analyses are obtained from many different sources, but are collected in only three basic ways: observation, administrative record-keeping, and surveys (either original or those done by someone else). This chapter focuses on survey data because surveys are, arguably, the most important source of information for tourism analysis, planning and decision-making. Before examining issues associated with surveys, however, we will consider briefly some of the characteristics of the other two sources of information: observation and administrative records.
