Page 136 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 4

STS571 Jaanus Kroon
of Estonia. Compared with earlier expenditures on similar statistics, involving
regular border-crossing surveys and the related interviews, the current
approach is remarkably cost-effective.

5. Conclusions
A decade of experience of using mobile data for external sector statistics
has shown that the methodology offers a reliable overview of travellers
crossing the Estonian border. When Eesti Pank started publishing the time
series of international travel in 2012, Estonia was one of the first few countries
publishing official statistics based on big data. It should be pointed out,
however, that the methodological concepts cannot be uniformly applied in
every country. Local conditions and the particular statistical goals should be
taken into account. The biggest advantage of the method is its speed, as it
uses existing information, stored by mobile operators as potential
respondents for statistics. There are neither direct costs associated with a
network of interviewers nor a burden for travellers as potential respondents.
In comparison with earlier expenditures on regular border-crossing surveys
with interviews, the current approach is remarkably cost-effective.
The current PPP-based collaboration model enables both parties to take
advantage of their specialisation. While Eesti Pank has experience in producing
national statistics in traditional fields, OÜ Positium as a spin-off company of
the Department of Geography at the University of Tartu is better equipped to
model human mobility from different facets. As border-crossing statistics is
not a core activity for the central bank, this cooperation enables us to draw on
OÜ Positium’s long-term experience in the field of direct processing of big
data (based on the Hadoop software framework).

References
1. Using mobile positioning data for tourism statistics: methodology and
data model. OÜ Positium LBS, Eesti Pank; Tartu 2009 (in Estonian).
2. Ahas, R. Aasa, A., Roose, A., Mark, Ü., Silm, S. 2008. Evaluating passive
mobile positioning data for tourism surveys: An Estonian case study.
Tourism Management 29(3): 469–486.
3. Using mobile positioning data for tourism statistics: updated
methodology and data model. OÜ Positium LBS, Eesti Pank; Tartu 2015
(in Estonian).
4. Eurostat. (2014). Feasibility study on the use of mobile positioning data
for tourism statistics.Reports on Eurostat Contract No 30501.2012.001-
2012.452.
5. Establishment of reports on payment statistics of credit institutions.
Decree of the Governor of Eesti Pank No 8 of 02/06/2014
6. Payment guides. Centus. [www]

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