adding readme for data preparation

Author: KHserv-Creator

2_data_preparation/README.md

@@ -1 +1,72 @@
 # Data Preparation
+
+## Haiti Tourism Data Pipeline
+
+A clean, reproducible, and fully documented data foundation built from official
+UNWTO sources
+
+This project transforms the raw and often unwieldy United Nations World Tourism Organization
+(UNWTO) Compendium of Tourism Statistics into clear, structured,
+and analysis-ready datasets — with a special focus on **Haiti**
+and a complete comparative panel of **30 Caribbean countries and territories**.
+ The data cover the full available series from **1995 to 2022**.
+
+## Project Structure
+
+### 1. `Extract_data_haiti_and_caribbean.ipynb`
+
+**Objective**: Fast, reliable, and one-time raw extraction from massive global files
+
+- Loads the four official UNWTO Excel workbooks (Arrivals, Purpose, Mode of Transport,
+ and Expenditure)
+- Isolates every single record belonging to Haiti across all sheets and years  
+- Simultaneously pulls the same indicators for 30 Caribbean countries
+  and territories for regional comparison  
+- Saves compact, raw extracted subsets as CSVs (one file per indicator)  
+
+### 2. `script_UN_tourism_caribbean_countries_cleaned.ipynb`
+
+**Objective**: Deliver one unified, tidy dataset for the entire Caribbean region
+
+- Removes all metadata clutter (flags, country codes, footnotes, notes)
+- Applies intuitive and consistent column names `country_receiving`, `year`, `number_of_tourists`.
+- Harmonizes visitor categories across countries and years:  
+ • Tourists (overnight visitors)  
+ • Excursionists (same-day visitors)  
+ • Total visitors  
+- Final output: **3,025 rows** of clean,
+ immediately usable Caribbean-wide tourism data
+
+### 3. `cleaned_data_haiti.ipynb`
+
+**Objective**: Produce publication-grade, Haiti-only datasets  
+Four focused and meticulously cleaned tables:
+
+- Arrivals by type of visitor
+- Purpose of visit (business, personal, total) – 66 rows
+- Mode of transport (air, sea/water, all modes combined)
+- Tourism expenditure and receipts (in current US$) – 28 rows
+
+Every file features simple column names, correct data types,
+transparent handling of missing values, and complete removal
+ of long original UN labels.
+
+## Conclusion – Ready for Impact
+
+What started as sprawling, hard-to-navigate global spreadsheets has become a
+**clean, trustworthy, and fully documented data foundation** that finally lets
+the real story of Haitian and Caribbean tourism emerge clearly.
+
+These datasets are now ready to power:  
+
+- Policy briefs and evidence-based recovery strategies for Haiti’s tourism sector
+- Academic research and economic impact studies  
+- Interactive dashboards and compelling data visualizations  
+- Regional benchmarking and competitiveness analyses  
+
+In just three transparent and reproducible notebooks, complex international
+statistics have been transformed into clear, actionable evidence.
+
+The numbers cleaned here are more than data points they are the solid
+groundwork for informed decisions that can help rebuild, reimagine,
+and revitalize tourism in Haiti and across the wider Caribbean.