Measuring the economic impact of tourism in Malta using the Tourism Satellite Account

Abstract

This article puts forward an analysis of the first Tourism Satellite Account compiled for the Maltese economy. The resulting Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) compiled for Malta adheres to the European System of Accounts (2010) and is based on the reference year of 2010. It reveals that tourism’s direct contribution to Malta’s GDP is around 6.1% and that the tourism sector directly employs 8.0% of the total population of gainfully occupied persons (employed or self-employed). Both the symmetrical approach and a variant of the net ratio approach are utilised to derive the tourism value added and tourism gross domestic product. The contribution of tourism to the local economy during 2010 is on par with that of what are generally considered to be the key sectors in Malta, however, the direct contribution to GDP is significantly lower than the estimates presented from past studies. The results presented in the article can be of significant use to further understand the various dimensions of both tourism demand and the tourism supply chain.