Douglas C. Frechtling

Estimating the Multiplier Effects of Tourism Expenditures on a Local Economy through a Regional Input-Output Model

Tourism multipliers indicate the total increase in output, labor earnings, and employment through interindustry linkages in a region as a result of tourism expenditures. The RIMS II regional input-output model was employed to estimate the multiplier effects of visitor expenditures in Washington, D.C. Both normal multipliers and ratio multipliers are analyzed, and the latter is found to be a more reliable indicator of total impact on earnings and employment in the city. A comparison of the multipliers for 37 industry sectors and the tourism multiplier in the city finds that the latter ranks relatively high for earnings and employment, but low for output.

An Assessment of Visitor Expenditure Methods and Models

There has been a great deal of research devoted to estimating visitor expenditures in countries, regions, cities, and other areas as related to specific events. Such estimates are essential for producing comprehensive estimates of tourism’s economic benefits in an area. This review of methods used to estimate visitor expenditures applies definitions of relevant concepts developed by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) to promote standardization and quality in tourism statistics. Three contexts are identified for visitor-expenditure studies: occasion, venue, and time frame. Occasion recognizes the visitor-expenditure studies that have focused on annual visitor expenditures in a study area in contrast to those focusing on visitor expenditures associated with a given event. The latter occasion raises a number of issues regarding what constituted qualified visitors and qualified expenditures. Relevance, coverage, and accuracy principles are applied from the literature to assess 11 methods and models. Guidance is provided for selecting valid approaches by occasion.

Impacts of the World Recession and Economic Crisis on Tourism: North America

This article has been prepared as part of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism’s initiative to provide a better understanding of the impact that the economic crisis of 2008-2009 has had, is having, and will have on the well-being and performance of the global tourism industry. More specifically, it seeks to serve as an information “backgrounder” for the North American components of the study. As such, it provides a concise assessment of the current and evolving status of the tourism sector in each of the three countries in North America. Information on Canada was drawn from data provided by Statistics Canada, the country’s centralized government-funded statistical agency, as well as information bulletins issued by the Canadian Tourism Commission. Information on Mexico was drawn from a number of official reports prepared by several government agencies. Information on tourism in the United States was assembled primarily from available data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis from their U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account system. In summary, the present backgrounder reveals that tourism in Canada and the United States has been, and is being, affected by the current economic crisis, and it appears likely that it will be further affected in the near future. In contrast, tourism in Mexico has been affected more directly and to a much greater extent by the swine flu pandemic, exchange rates, and weather conditions than by the economic crisis itself.

Assessment of Tourism/Hospitality Journals’ Role in Knowledge Transfer: An Exploratory Study

This study is a preliminary assessment of the transfer of knowledge from 13 popular tourism, hospitality, and related academic journals to managers, researchers, and other practitioners in the U.S. tourism and hospitality industries. It is based on a sample survey of members of two organizations that cover these populations: the Travel and Tourism Research Association and the Travel Industry Association of America. This study finds, among other results, that the two populations differ in their proportions that read any journals and specific journals, that there are preferences for journals that vary by occupation and tourism industry sector, and that relatively little transmission of knowledge is taking place from leading journals to industry practitioners. Recommendations are presented for further research and action.

The tourism satellite account: foundations, progress and issues

Abstract In reaction to several decades of a pluralistic approach to measuring the impact of tourism on national economies, the tourism satellite account (TSA) has been proposed to provide consistent and comprehensive measurements across nations, through time, and with country’s own systems of national accounts. The principles of national income accounting promulgated in 1993 by the United Nations and other multi-lateral organizations made provision for satellite accounts for activities not now separated in the national account structure. This article outlines the development of this new tool for analyzing the economic impact of tourism. It explains the concepts and coverage of the TSA and how it expands the scope of traditional tourism impact analysis. It outlines how the results may be employed in these analyses. It explores the major issues of developing the TSA concepts and measurement techniques, and why these are important to ensuring the full potential of this promising new analytical tool is realized.

Tourism trends and the business cycle: Tourism in recession

Abstract This paper outlines the nature of the current economic recession in the USA. It discusses the impact of the recession on tourism volume, travel-generated employment, and travel prices. It presents data from the Data Centers monthly National Travel Survey on how individual types of travel and types of travellers are adjusting to the overall decline in economic activity. Finally, conclusions are presented to help planners, marketers and policymakers deal more effectively with future recessions. This paper forms part of a more general study; a similar discussion of travel in periods of economic recovery is planned for later publication.

A Model for Estimating Travel Expenditures

There are basically two approaches to gathering primary data on the size and characteristics of traveler spending. One is to conduct a survey of a sample of travelers and ask each respondent to recall how much he spent on his trip and how these expenditures were distributed among various travel activities, such as transportation, lodging, and food. This is the method employed in the large majority of travel expenditure studies and permits direct estimation of total expendi-

Key issues in tourism futures. The US travel industry.

Abstract This article describes the possible developments in the US tourism industry and market up until the year 2000. Great potential for expansion exists provided that the industry adapts to changing market requirements. There are increasingly more diverse market segments as the population becomes more differentiated. Competition from an improved home environment, and changes in the proportions of population age categories will influence demand. The inevitable price rises associated with a reduction in the lower-age-category workers will have an adverse effect unless offset by technological advances. The US travel industry is consolidating to become stronger and more competitive.

A Brief Treatise on Days and Nights

This article discusses one area of confusion in travel surveys; namely, how to make nights away from home indicate days spent away from home. Problems researchers encountered are given and possible solutions analyzed.

Travel as an Em ployer i n the State Economy

This article discusses the travel industry as an employer in the state economy. The Travel Economic Impact Model (TEIM) developed in 1975 for the U.S. Department of the Interior is used to describe the contribution of travel jobs to employment in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. First, travel industry employment is estimated by the TEIM; then this employment is compared on a state basis with other state industries to determine the travel industrys em ployment rank. The ratio of travel-generated jobs to total nonagricultural payroll employment in 1974 is also discussed.