OVERVIEW OF WORK ON THE
DEVELOPMENT
OF
TOURISM SATELLITE
ACCOUNTS (TSA)
IN THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY
(CARICOM)
20 March 2013
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OVERVIEW OF WORK ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM SATELLITE
ACCOUNTS (TSA) IN THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY (CARICOM)
1.
Background
1.1
Implementation of a Common Regional Statistical Work Programme
(RSWP) incorporating TSA Development
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat and the Standing Committee of
Caribbean Statisticians (SCCS) have been continuously engaged in efforts over the
years to improve the range, quality and comparability of statistics in the Region, often in
collaboration with regional and international organisations and with the commitment and
support of member countries.
The preparation of a three-year Regional Statistical Work Programme (RSWP) and its
endorsement by the Community Council of Ministers (Council) in 2005 provided a
framework for the realisation of more harmonised statistics to support the
establishment, operation and performance of the CARICOM Single Market and
Economy (CSME), as well as to provide the indicators required to monitor the
achievement of development goals such as the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs).
The RSWP also recognises the need for greater collaboration among organisations in
the implementation of activities to support and strengthen statistical capacity. The
preparation of Tourism Satellite Accounts by Member States was part of the RSWP that
was approved by Council in 2005. The endorsement of the RSWP in 2005 was
accompanied by a Resolution on Regional Statistical Development calling on
Governments to increase investment in statistics as a priority. The Resolution was also
passed by Council.
The RSWP has since been updated utilising the framework of the International
Classification of Statistical Activities (CSA) Revision 2009. Domain 2 of the RSWP on
Economic Statistics contains Theme 2.4.5 Sectoral Statistics – Tourism
Statistics/Tourism Satellite Account. The RSWP is to be approved by the Community
Council of Ministers as was the case in 2005.
1.2
CARICOM’s Mandates Relative to Developmental Work on the TSA
(i)
The Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas,
Article 55 (1): On Sustainable
Tourism Development - The Community shall in collaboration with competent
international organisations, formulate proposals for sustainable tourism
development. These proposals shall recognise the importance of the tourism
sub-sector to the economic development of the Region, and the need to
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conserve its cultural and natural resources and to maintain a base between a
healthy ecology and economic development;
(ii)
The Twenty-Ninth Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of
the Caribbean Community (Antigua and Barbuda, July 2008): The decisions
related to Tourism Issues are:
THE CONFERENCE:
“Further agreed that a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) will be developed
in each Member State to facilitate the effective management and planning
of the sector;
Also mandated the CARICOM Secretariat to collaborate with the
CARTAC, the CTO and the ECCB, and other regional institutions to
establish the TSA”;
(iii)
The Twenty-Eighth Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic
Development (COTED) (Tourism and Transportation/Civil Aviation (Trinidad
and Tobago, September 2008): Mandated the establishment of a regional multiagency committee for Regional Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) Implementation
which would comprise relevant agencies and at least six (6) representatives from
the NSOs and three (3) from the CARICOM Member States. That Committee
would be led by the CARICOM Secretariat and the Caribbean Tourism
Organisation (CTO) and would be responsible for guiding the TSA
implementation process and providing the necessary coordination, monitoring
and oversight roles for ensuring the successful implementation of TSAs in the
Region.
2.
Past Efforts Aimed at Enabling the Preparation of Tourism Satellite
Accounts
As part of the process of enabling the development of the economic sectors and more
specifically the facilitation of production and trade in services in the Region, the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat has executed in recent years
developmental work on the TSA to enable Member States to be able to assess the
contribution of Tourism to their respective economies. Initially, the statistical work on
tourism was contained in developmental work that was undertaken in National Accounts
and in Statistics on International Trade in Services and Investment.
While engaging in the developmental work on Statistics on International Trade in
Services, it was recognised that Tourism as a traded service required more intensive
treatment to hasten the production of statistics of this sector that is thought to be
significant in most Member States/Associate Members. The recommended approach
was to conduct specific activities on the development of TSA in Member States as a
pilot project.
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A chronology of work put in place from 2000 on the development of the TSA by the
CARICOM Secretariat is as follows:
2001: CARICOM Regional Workshop on National Accounts, Trinidad and Tobago Introduction of TSA concepts. The Satellite Account approach is contained in the 1993
System of National Accounts (and now in the updated 2008 SNA) framework
therefore the introduction to the TSA concepts was included in workshops convened in
the area of National Accounts;
2002: CARICOM Regional Workshop on National Accounts, St. Kitts and Nevis Introduction of TSA concepts and exposition of the TSA in the Supply and Use
Framework (demand and supply) of the 1993 SNA;
2001-2002: Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) funded Project on
Strengthening Statistical Capacities in Member States to produce Statistics on
International Trade in Services, under the CARICOM Protocol II, Trade Policy and
Facilitation Project. Tourism under this project was recognised as a very important
international trade service for the Region and one that generates considerable income.
The situational assessment recommended steps to be taken by countries and regional
organisations to develop tourism statistics and the TSA. One (1) regional workshop and
two (2) national workshops were held in which the Tourism sector was one of a few
sectors incorporated on the agenda. Private sector representatives, central banks,
statistical offices and tourism related associations were among the participants of these
events. The regional workshop was held in Barbados and the national workshops were
held in Grenada and St. Kitts and Nevis;
2003: CARICOM Regional Workshop on Tourism Satellite Account – funded by the
Government of Spain. The TSA was addressed in the context of the System of National
Accounts 1993;
2004-2005: CARICOM in collaboration with CARICOM Trade and Competitiveness
Development Programme (C-TRADECOM), a Project funded by the USAID, undertook
Developmental work on International Trade in Services, including elements of Tourism
statistics and components such as Travel and transportation. Technical assistance was
applied in six (6) countries – Barbados, Belize, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and
the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago.
2006: The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) undertook developmental work in the
area of Tourism Statistics, focusing on the development of a Tourism Satellite Account
framework. In February 2006, the Secretariat continued work in this area with a twoweek Pilot Technical Assistance Mission to Saint Lucia to review and support the
development of a System of Tourism Statistics and to explore the development of a
TSA in that Member State. This Mission was funded by the Government of Spain
through the CARICOM-Spain Cooperation Agreement and included representatives
from Barbados, Dominica and Grenada as part of capacity-building;
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The Mission followed the first four (4) steps of the 9-step approach recommended by
the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) for the development of a TSA
that are listed below:
(i)
A good understanding of the TSA framework and its proposed tables;
(ii)
A description of the country’s tourism activity;
(iii)
A description of the country’s system of tourism statistics (STS) in statistical
terms;
(iv)
A statistical description of the country’s system of national accounts and related
systems;
(v)
A compilation of an experimental TSA;
(vi)
The setting up of a feasibility study in order to decide how to remedy the flaws;
(vii)
The implementation of the decisions and getting results/pilot estimations to
monitor the advance of the process;
(viii)
A statistical assessment of the quality of the TSA; and
(ix)
The dissemination of the results and further improvement of the proceedings.
2009:
(i)
(ii)
3.
Preparation of a proposal which was submitted to the Caribbean Development
Bank (CDB);
Inclusion of activity on the TSA in the Ninth European Development Fund that
was executed by the CTO.
Proposed typical structure for a mission to review the advances in the
setting up of a TSA as derived by the CARICOM Secretariat Technical
Assistance
A General approach or structure to the implementation of developmental work on the
TSA was derived out of the work put in place by the CARICOM Secretariat.
This ideal structure presents the main topics that need to be addressed. The time
allocated to each of the topics might depend on the local circumstances and on the
availability of participants, and might be decided upon at the beginning of the work
being put in place at the country level adjusted as needed to be country specific.
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Step 1:
An overview of the work to be conducted during the mission and the
procedure that will be followed
This is self-explanatory and will be a presentation on the content of the mission as
adjusted to the needs of the specific country.
Step 2:
Presentation of the inter-institutional platform:
(i)
Membership of the inter-agency platform such as the National Statistical Office,
the relevant Tourism Authority/ Minsitry of Tourism; Immigration Department;
Central Bank and other relevant agencies that should comprise this platform;
(ii)
Procedures- operational procedures and terms of reference should be
established;
(iii)
Achievements - Key Results to be achieved should be identified and prioritised
with appropriate timelines. This can later be adjusted as the programme of work
develops.
Step 3:
Brief presentation of what is a TSA
Presentation by the facilitator/consultant to the participants on the Inter-institutional
Plaform on what is a TSA- its function, structure, linkages to the National Accounts, the
basic tables, the importance of the Supply and Use Tables and other relevant areas.
Step 4:
Presentation of existing tourism statistics and the state of TSA
elaboration:
Each form of tourism should be presented separately: Inbound, domestic,
outbound
(i)
Main features that define the nature of tourism in the country; Who are the
visitors, where do they visit within the country (regional aspects of tourism),
when, types of accommodation used, types of activities while in the country,
importance of business persons: their activities in the country; returning
nationals, etc.;
(ii)
For each forms of tourism: inventory of sources (based on the UNWTO standard
format for the inventory of metadata); presentation of the formats being used to
collect the information and of the format used for publication, etc. (a)
(b)
(c)
On arrivals and length of stay;
On visitor consumption expenditure;
On supply by tourism activities and other;
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(iii)
System of National Accounts: Supply and Use tables, and Balance of Payments (a)
(b)
general introduction;
link with the TSA exercise;
(iv)
Classifications of products and activities used in the rest of the macro-economic
system in the country;
(v)
Classifications used in tourism statistics –
(vi)
(a)
Identification and classification of visitors; purpose of visit (statistics on
arrivals, tourism statistics, expenditure surveys);
(b)
Forms of accommodation (statistics
accommodation, expenditure surveys);
(c)
Economic activities;
(d)
Products;
on
arrivals,
statistics
on
Setting up the TSA (a)
(b)
(c)
Step 5:
Putting together information on demand;
Putting together information on supply;
The reconciliation procedure.
Immigration statistics and their use for the measurement of the flows of
inbound/outbound tourism- How do we measure domestic tourism?
Immigration Statistics:
(i)
Description of the procedure at arrival and at departure; air, sea, land; treatment
of particular cases such as transit passengers, cruise ships (if relevant…), etc.;
(ii)
The E/D card; its purpose and design; the role of the Immigration officer in the
proper filling of the cards;
(iii)
The link between Immigration and Tourism Administration;
(iv)
The determination of visitors and their main characteristics: country of
residence/country of destination; purpose of visit: identifying visitors and nonvisitors in the case of business travelers, long-term students and long-term
visitors, other specific cases; length of stay (estimated and actual); forms of
accommodation, etc.
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Measuring flows of domestic tourism
(v)
Main source of information: a household survey approach? (detailed review of
the metadata; questionnaires, procedures in the field, coverage; sampling
procedure, response rates, expansion, etc.)
Step 6: Measuring visitor consumption expenditure: detailed review
(vi)
(vii)
Inbound visitors (a)
Review of Statistical procedure: standard –review of surveys;
complementary where the standard one is insufficient or inadequate (other
sources of information from cruise ships etc);
(b)
Expanding to the universe: detailed review of the statistical procedure and
significance (obtaining total visitor consumption expenditure);
(c)
Treatment of all inclusive hotels, package tours, etc.;
(d)
Classifications of expenditure and link to classifications in National
Accounts;
Outbound visitors (a)
Statistical procedure: standard; complementary where the standard one is
insufficient or inadequate (same as for inbound);
(b)
Expanding to the universe: detailed review of the statistical procedure and
significance (obtaining total visitor consumption expenditure);
(c)
Treatment of all inclusive hotels, package tours, etc.;
(d)
Classifications of expenditure and link to classifications in National
Accounts;
(viii) Domestic visitors (a)
Statistical procedure: standard; complementary where the standard one is
insufficient or inadequate-what type of survey?;
(b)
Expanding to the universe : detailed review of the statistical procedure and
significance;
(c)
Classifications of expenditure and link to classifications in National
Accounts.
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Step 7:
Accommodation statistics
(i)
Identifying forms of accommodation (a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(ii)
Measuring occupancy rates (rooms, bedplaces) (a)
(b)
(c)
(iii)
Step 8:
Rates; estimating average expenditure per person per day in
accommodation establishments.
Detailed presentation of the system of national accounts presently
used in the country(f)
(g)
(h)
(ii)
Scope of the system;
Sources of information;
Estimation procedures (benchmark and current year);
The Supply and Use Table (a)
(b)
(iii)
(iv)
Classifications: details useful for a TSA;
estimation procedure (benchmark and current year);
Specific treatment of tourism characteristic products and activities (a)
(b)
(i)
General procedure;
Coverage;
Estimating missing values;
Supply statistics and National Accounts
(i)
Step 9:
Registers of accommodation establishments;
Other informal forms of accommodation;
Classifications used in the different statistical procedure;
Existence and treatment of timeshares and other new forms of
vacation ownership or forms of accommodation;
Reconciliation of classifications used in different procedures;
Identifying them in the present classification;
Availability of information;
Integrating the TSA with a SUT: detailed conceptual and practical
aspects.
Setting up the TSA Reconciling tourism consumption and supply (a)
Reconciliation of accommodation in overnights and values;
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(b)
(ii)
Estimating Tourism Gross fixed capital formation (a)
(iii)
Reconciliation procedure for other products and activities using non
monetary indicators and values;
Sources and methods;
Estimating Tourism employment (a)
Sources and methods;
(iv)
Calculating Tourism GDP;
(v)
Other aggregates and indicators.
Step 10:
Review of strengths and weaknesses: a common assessment and
work program
In this session, the objective is to review together the different aspects that have been
discussed in order to establish a work program for future improvements in the different
fields where needed.
In that review, the role and specific responsibility of the different participants in the interinstitutional platform will be highlighted.
Step 11.
Final conclusions
This is also self-explanatory at the end of the work, conclusions are to be drawn relative
to the work to be put in place by countries for future missions in the development of the
TSA. As an example, the country may have to pay attention to the data on the supply
side information on accommodation.
4.
Major Results Achieved, Lessons Learnt and Proposed Work
Major Results Achieved
TSA Methodology introduced at an early stage to statisticians: Considering that the
Methodological Framework of the TSA was only approved for use in 2001, the inclusion
of the TSA in the National Accounts workshops of 2000 and 2002 provided statisticians
in the region with an introduction to the new methodological framework in quick time.
Trade in Services Project enabled advancement of TSA training: Further, the
developmental work on International Trade in Services served as a mechanism to have
further discussions and technical assistance to advance the work required on the
System of Tourism of Statistics and the Tourism Satellite Account with more detailed
activities to be undertaken by countries.
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Technical Assistance Missions facilitated more focused imparting of knowledge
and practical operations in preparing TSA: The in-country technical assistance
provided practical support to fully commence the internationally recommended phases
for the production of the TSA utilising an inter-agency platform within country. In most
of the countries, there was a vibrant inter-agency platform. For example in the case of
Barbados the immigration departments participated actively in the discussions on the
ED cards and there was almost always active participation by an Immigration Officer. In
addition, representatives also attended from the Ministry of Tourism, the Tourism
Authorities, the Hotel Associations, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO), the
Caribbean Technical Assistance Centre (CARTAC), the Central Bank of Barbados and
the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB). In all Member States, the level of
cooperation from the tourism authorities was tremendous.
On the second visit, the Statistics department was able to improve its response to the
main accommodation establishments for 2002, the year for which the TSA was being
constructed. In addition, work had advanced on the SUT through the assistance of a
Consultant funded by CARTAC.
Work on TSA enhanced understanding and realised improvement in National
Accounts: On the other hand, while it is recommended that countries undertaking
developments in this area of statistics should have already reached an advanced state
in the Supply and Use Tables of the 1993 SNA (SUT construction), based on the
observations of the countries, the work on the TSA can provide greater clarity to the
SUT process. This work therefore served to improve the quality and coverage of the
national accounts data.
Lessons learnt relative to approach to future technical assistance missions:
An overview of the general structure of the approach to be used in developing the TSA
was established that can be replicated in other member states.
The Secretariat is also aware of the developmental work in St Vincent and the
Grenadines which commenced prior to the technical assistance missions.
Proposed Work:
Work is proposed in the region by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) in the
area of Travel and Tourism Consumption and the Secretariat has been asked to
collaborate on this activity. Invitations have been sent to countries in this regard and will
be forthcoming to other key agencies shortly.
In addition, under the Tenth European Development Fund, work will be put in place on
the improvement in National Accounts by the CARICOM Secretariat through in-country
support and workshops.
This activity will serve to improve the data sources for the tables of the MRDS as well as
recommended tables such as the SUT that form the basis of the TSA.
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