TSAs and the WTTC/WEFA Methodology: Different Satellites or Different Planets?

Abstract

Differences between real tourism satellite accounts and the WTTC/WEFA ‘simulated tourism satellite accounts’ are described. These differences are both conceptual and methodological, including the fact that the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) methodology fails to conform to the World Tourism Organization/UN definitions. Some empirical problems associated with the WTTC methodology also are detailed. These include the inappropriate use of Consumer Price Index weightings and WTTC's reliance on US data sources to make inferences about other nations' economies. The paper concludes that the WTTC methodology does not represent a ‘simulated tourism satellite account’.