Falklands : Satellite Account is a Falklands' First
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 22.10.2009 (Article Archived on 05.11.2009)
The Falklands’ first ‘Tourism Satellite Account’ (TSA), a United Nations endorsed international standard for measuring the true economic impact of tourism, has been launched by the Falkland Islands Tourist Board.
SATELLITE ACCOUNT IS A FALKLANDS' FIRST
By J. Brock (FINN)
The Falklands’ first ‘Tourism Satellite Account’ (TSA), a United Nations endorsed international standard for measuring the true economic impact of tourism, has been launched by the Falkland Islands Tourist Board.
In conjunction with Acorn Consulting Partnership (UK), the findings reflected extensive work by the tourist board which has enabled an enlightening account of this important sector of the economy to be produced.
According to the TSA results, tourists spent £6.6 million in the Falkland Islands in the 2008-9 season, 43% of which was spent by cruise passengers, with a further 43% spent by air passengers and 14% by domestic tourists. The spend of £6.6 million represents 5% of the Falkland Islands’ GDP, which is a significant value in comparison with many other countries. In the UK tourism contributes 3.4% of GDP, while in Chile the contribution is 3.8%, and 2.5% in the United States.
Jake Downing, General Manager of the Falkland Islands Tourist Board commented that, “Quantifying the tourism industry’s true contribution to the larger Falklands economy has always been difficult and Tourism touches all parts of the economy, creating income and employment in all sectors: accommodation, transport, food & beverage, retail and other services. The TSA makes measurement and tracking of all this a reality.”
The Falklands are one of a number of countries to have developed a TSA, which reflects the Government’s commitment to tourism. It provides a tool for both the tourism industry and government to measure growth and properly plan for the future, and it will have policy implications for employment, education, infrastructure and transport.
“The launch of the TSA is an important landmark for us”, said Mr Downing. “It is thanks to the hard work of Acorn Consulting and the support of the industry here that we now have some exciting statistics which will help us plan for the future.”
|
