TOTAL CONTRIBUTION OF TOURISM TO CROATIAN ECONOMY: INPUT-OUTPUT MODEL AND TOURISM SATELLITE ACCOUNT

Considering tourism as a set of demand driven economic activities which are determined by (tourism) demand, the purpose of this paper is to assess the total, direct and indirect, contribution of tourism to the Croatian economy. Within the system of tourism statistics framework, the basis for estimating the size of tourism and its direct contribution to the economy is provided by Tourism Satellite Account. Assessment of indirect and total contribution assumes the use of different stochastic or deterministic models. This paper uses input-output model for estimation of total tourism contribution. Input-output model is linked to Tourism Satellite Account through the selection of activities (dimension of matrix of total intermediate flows is 13x13) as well as through data on tourism expenditures. Procedures presented in this paper result in static assessment of the contribution of tourism demand to Croatian GDP at basic prices for 2005. In order to improve the method of these estimates it is necessary to further intensify cooperation of tourism experts and Croatian national accountants in the future. That would enable successful application of dynamic simulation models supported by modern information technologies.