THE Department of Tourism (DOT) has now been given clearance to conduct a Visitor Sample Survey (VSS) by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) through the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS).

The survey, worth P1.02 million, will be administered to 600 visitors who will depart from the Philippines from a total of 60 sample flights leaving the five major international airports in the country monthly.  

The NSCB said the results of the survey would be released in May 2009. 

“The VSS aims to generate information on visitor characteristics and preferences to serve as input to tourism development planning and policy formulation and derive parameter estimates for measuring foreign-exchange earnings from tourist travel,” the NSCB said in a statement.

The total cost of the survey covers traveling expenses worth P0.21 million, supplies (P0.10 million), and other maintenance and operating expenses worth P0.71 million. The NSCB said the survey cost per respondent amounts to P170.00.

The NSCB said the VSS will generate the demographic profile of respondents, which includes nationality, age, sex and occupation and travel characteristics/preferences/psychographic data of the respondents, which cover purpose of visit, places visited, type of travel arrangement  and duration of trip.

The SSRCS is a mechanism instituted by the NSCB which aims to ensure sound design for data collection; minimize the burden placed upon respondents; and effect economy in statistical data collection.

It also aims to achieve better coordination of government statistical activities and inform the private sector and the public that a government survey operation has passed clearance and enjoin their cooperation in the conduct of the survey.

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THE Department of Tourism (DOT) has now been given clearance to conduct a Visitor Sample Survey (VSS) by the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) through the Statistical Survey Review and Clearance System (SSRCS).

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