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Tourism Satellite Account system for African countries
[last updated January 6, 2004 6:37 PM]
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General Information
Partnership website(s) |
Expected TimeframeApril 2003 - December 2012 |
Partners
Governments:
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Major Groups:
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| UN System:
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Other intergovernmental organizations:
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| Other:
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Thematic Focus
Primary Themes:
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Secondary Themes:
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Geographic Coverage
Geographic Scope: Regional
Country(ies) where the partnership is being implemented: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
National Focal Points
At present, no information is available as to whether the partnership has made contact with the national focal points for sustainable development in the relevant countries.
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Goals and Objectives
Summary of the partnership's goals and objectives
The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) system, which is a statistical tool that measures the total economic impact of tourism, was developed by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) in 1995 with the objective of defining a new statistical instrument to assist government officials, business executives and stakeholders within the tourism industry to make informed decision.
The benefits of a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) are numerous and enable a country to measure the following:
The proportion of a country's GDP i.e. the total output of all goods and services the country produces annually that are attributable to tourism activity
The size of the tourism industry relative to other sectors of a country's economy
The number of jobs generated by tourism activity
The value of public and private investment related to tourism
The effect of international tourism on a country's balance of payments
The value of government income generated by tourism in the country
The importance of a TSA for African countries is that it will provide the vital information required to assist African countries in policy formulation, decision-making and strategic planning to boost tourism growth on the continent. The information produced from a TSA would also ensure that tourism development on the continent takes place in a sustainable manner.
This initiative will result in:
* Financial investment in establishing appropriate infrastructure for the collection of tourism statistics.
* The knowledge base of officials in African countries would be greatly enhanced in as far as the application of TSA is concerned.
* The measurement of the economic impact of tourism through the provision of accurate information of African countries
* Development of policies and strategies in African countries to boost tourism growth will be informed by accurate information.
The benefits of a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) are numerous and enable a country to measure the following:
The proportion of a country's GDP i.e. the total output of all goods and services the country produces annually that are attributable to tourism activity
The size of the tourism industry relative to other sectors of a country's economy
The number of jobs generated by tourism activity
The value of public and private investment related to tourism
The effect of international tourism on a country's balance of payments
The value of government income generated by tourism in the country
The importance of a TSA for African countries is that it will provide the vital information required to assist African countries in policy formulation, decision-making and strategic planning to boost tourism growth on the continent. The information produced from a TSA would also ensure that tourism development on the continent takes place in a sustainable manner.
This initiative will result in:
* Financial investment in establishing appropriate infrastructure for the collection of tourism statistics.
* The knowledge base of officials in African countries would be greatly enhanced in as far as the application of TSA is concerned.
* The measurement of the economic impact of tourism through the provision of accurate information of African countries
* Development of policies and strategies in African countries to boost tourism growth will be informed by accurate information.
Targets and Progress
Partnership targets1. Obtain agreement from potential funders to support the development of TSA in Africa. Timeframe: December 2003
2. Conduct an audit of tourism information available in Africa for the preparation of TSA. Timeframe: 2004 3. Agree on a phased approach to produce TSA in Africa. Phase 1: To obtain information that is consumption based for African countries e.g data on domestic and foreign arrivals. Timeframe: 2007 Phase 2: To obtain data of a supply nature that focus on capital investment in tourism of African countries. Timeframe: 2009 Phase 3: All African countries should be in a position to compile TSA by 2012. |
Progress against targetsUpdate (30/1/2003)
We (African countries) have just come out of a workshop entitled "First sub-regional workshop on tourism statistics and elaboration of a TSA" in Seychelles. The workshop was arranged by WTO. The issues of funding and how to access it were discussed but, most importantly, the setting up of a TSA in individual countries including information needs. Partners are still commited as we met on the workshops arranged by WTO (World Tourism Organisation). Prior to the above mentioned workshop, there was also another workshop from 8-13 September 2002 at the offices of the WTO headquarters in Madrid, Spain. Certain countries have already assessed funding for this projects. Some are still busy with their feasibility studies for the TSA. Our follow-up workshop will be held during July 2003 in Botswana and thereafter we might have additional information on the way forward. |
Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
Arrangements for Capacity-Building and Technology Transfer
- Human resources development/training
- Education/building awareness
The forthcoming training program by WTO entitled "First International workshop on tourism statistics and the preparation of the Tourism Satellite Account in September" is of utmost importance in that it will ensure capacity building in African countries. We would also propose that WTO and other countries that have already implemented TSA system should conduct workshops with officials from African countries around the systems involved in the preparation and implementation of TSA.
Relationship to International Agreements on Sustainable Development
How the partnership contributes to the implementation of Agenda 21, the Programme for the Further Implementation of Agenda 21, and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
I. Social & Economic Dimensions:
The information obtained from a TSA would inform policies and strategies geared towards social and economic development of the continent
II. Conservation & Management of Resources for development
TSA would also provide government with relevant information that would be vital for the conservation of nature and thus lead to sustainable use of nature- based resources.
III. Strengthening the role of major groups
Partnerships between government, civil society and the private sector require significant resources both of a financial and technical nature. Tourism is market driven, government led and community based. TSA should therefore be an initiative supported by the private and public sectors but should be government led. The role of statistical agencies and central banks of African countries are very crucial in the TSA process. These institutions would ensure the availability of information required for the proper formulation of a TSA.
IV Means of implementation
* Financial resources would be accessed through organizations such as UNDP (United nations Development Program), ADB (African Development Bank), World Bank and G8 countries
* Developing knowledge and capacity of officials in Africa, assistance from countries that have already formulated TSA's i.e. Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, United States and Chile would be sought.
* The formulation of TSA would also lead to the development of tourism infrastructure and would also create more investment opportunities.
The information obtained from a TSA would inform policies and strategies geared towards social and economic development of the continent
II. Conservation & Management of Resources for development
TSA would also provide government with relevant information that would be vital for the conservation of nature and thus lead to sustainable use of nature- based resources.
III. Strengthening the role of major groups
Partnerships between government, civil society and the private sector require significant resources both of a financial and technical nature. Tourism is market driven, government led and community based. TSA should therefore be an initiative supported by the private and public sectors but should be government led. The role of statistical agencies and central banks of African countries are very crucial in the TSA process. These institutions would ensure the availability of information required for the proper formulation of a TSA.
IV Means of implementation
* Financial resources would be accessed through organizations such as UNDP (United nations Development Program), ADB (African Development Bank), World Bank and G8 countries
* Developing knowledge and capacity of officials in Africa, assistance from countries that have already formulated TSA's i.e. Canada, France, Australia, New Zealand, United States and Chile would be sought.
* The formulation of TSA would also lead to the development of tourism infrastructure and would also create more investment opportunities.
Coordination and Implementation
Coordination Mechanism of the PartnershipWe propose that the WTO Commission for Africa be the lead organization in coordinating this initiative. Regional institutions in Africa should be responsible for monitoring the outputs of these projects. At a national level all countries must show commitment and dedication in support of these programs. WTO need to set up a dedicated unit within the WTO Commission for Africa to drive this process.
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Implementation Mechanism of the Partnership |
Resources
Funding Currently AvailableAmount in US$: 0
Source(s):
We will have a clear indication of the financial requirements after April 2003. The reason is that we need to allocate funding to the additional information that will be required in order to carry out a TSA. |
Non-financial resources availableType(s):
Source(s):
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Funding SoughtRequired Amount in US$: not specified
Source(s) already approached: WTO, UNDP and World Bank are potential funders. We are also exploring other means of assessing financial assistance from other institutions, donor funding from the G8 countries as well as from other donor agencies.
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Non-financial resources soughtRequirement(s):
Source(s) approached and details:
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Additional Information
Additional Relevant Information
Partners:
Major groups - Likely partners: Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism of South Africa (DEAT); Statistics South Africa (StatSA), South African Reserve Bank (SARB); RETOSA; South African Tourism (SA Tourism)
Potential Partners: AFDB - African Development Bank; World Bank; UNDP and G8 countries committed to NEPAD
Through the WTO partnerships between countries have been developed in the formulation of TSAs. However most partnerships have not included African countries. There is therefore a need for strategic partnerships to be created with developed nations and African countries to implement the TSA.
We propose that the WTO commission for Africa should be set up units in all African countries that would report to the regional structures on a quarterly basis. WTO Commission for Africa would monitor the performance of the units within Africa and report to WTO.
Major groups - Likely partners: Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism of South Africa (DEAT); Statistics South Africa (StatSA), South African Reserve Bank (SARB); RETOSA; South African Tourism (SA Tourism)
Potential Partners: AFDB - African Development Bank; World Bank; UNDP and G8 countries committed to NEPAD
Through the WTO partnerships between countries have been developed in the formulation of TSAs. However most partnerships have not included African countries. There is therefore a need for strategic partnerships to be created with developed nations and African countries to implement the TSA.
We propose that the WTO commission for Africa should be set up units in all African countries that would report to the regional structures on a quarterly basis. WTO Commission for Africa would monitor the performance of the units within Africa and report to WTO.