Estimating the Economic Impact of Tourism: A Comparative Analysis of Albania, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Greece

Many countries promote tourism in an attempt to increase the gross domestic product, increase employment, improve balance of payments, enhance community infrastructure and diversify the economic base. While more information about the relationship between tourism and a country¿s economic development is needed, models assessing tourism economic impact are not readily available, particularly in developing countries. The purpose of this study is to develop a Keynesian- based model to assess the economic impact of tourism on imports, investments, and governmental expenditure in Albania, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Greece. When a country is deciding to embark on tourism development as a policy option, or to expand tourism industry, it must be decided that long term benefits outweigh the estimated costs. The model provides good instrument for tourism policy decision makers by considering leakages from imports, taxes and savings. It especially will be useful to professionals in tourism studies who may be considering utilizing it also to estimate the impact of different types of tourism in countries with limited data sources.

Ariana Çela, Ed.D: Studied Economics and Finance at University of Tirana, Albania and Tourism Studies at University of Northern Iowa, USA. Project researcher at Sustainable Tourism and Environment Program at UNI, and currently Budget Policy and Analysis Director at Ministry of Finance, Tirana, Albania.