The measurement of tourism is not an easy task. The Economics of Tourism Destinations provides a succinct guide to the economic aspects of tourism for students and practitioners alike to decipher the methods of measurement of supply, demand, trends and impacts. In nine chapters, The Economics of Tourism Destinations takes the reader through the economic characteristic of the tourism sector, to methods of measurement, tourism demand and supply, impacts and forecasting all with the focus on tourism destinations. International case studies are used throughout including tourism surveys in the UK and other European countries, congress centre in Bruges and income generation in several destinations. Aimed at year three undergraduates and postgraduate students, this text is suitable for those on master levels courses and practitioners already in the industry.

The book aims at providing an overview of the main economic issues related to tourism activities. While tourism is an important sector, contributing to more than 10% of the European Union’s GDP, research and teaching at the university level has only recently grown to a considerable level, and the field still lacks a firm research methodology. This book approaches tourism economics as an applied field of study in which tourism markets are represented as imperfect markets, with asymmetric and incomplete information among agents, bounded rationality, and with a strong presence of externalities and public goods. The economic issues studied in the book are approached both intuitively, largely using examples and case studies, and formally, with mathematical formalizations in text boxes.

Tourism economics is a rapidly expanding field of research and interest in the subject has been growing steadily over the past decade. As a field of study it is one of the small band of areas, such as energy and transport economics, that draws on, and applies, developments in general economics. This highly accessible and comprehensive Handbook presents a cutting edge discussion of the state of tourism economics and its likely directions in future research. Leading researchers in the field explore a wide range of topics including: demand and forecasting, supply, transport, taxation and infrastructure, evaluation and application for policy-making. Each chapter includes a discussion of its relevance and importance to the tourism economics literature, an overview of its main contributions and themes, a critical evaluation of existing literature and an outline of issues for further conceptual and applied research. Larry Dwyer and Peter Forsyth have assembled a fascinating Handbook that will be an invaluable and much welcomed reference book for tourism economics scholars and researchers at all levels of academe. General economics scholars will also find much to engage them within the book.

The measurement of tourism is not an easy task. In the last decade there has been a growing interest in the tourism world in new methods to measure demand and supply of tourism. Fully revised and updated, the second edition of The Economics of Tourism Destinations provides a succinct guide to the economic aspects of tourism for students and practitioners alike to decipher the methods of measurement of supply, demand, trends and impacts. This book emphasizes new aspects such as measurement of tourism (e.g. Tourism Satellite Account), supply trends, competition models, macro evaluation of tourism projects and events and the role of tourism in a development strategy. Each chapter combines theory and practice and international case studies are provided.

Creating value in tourism -- Tourism consumers -- Supply, demand, and the growth of tourism, Economic impact : output, income, and sustainability -- Pricing tourism services -- Airlines -- Tourist travel by automobile, rail, and bus -- Lodging and restaurants -- Cruise lines -- Destinations, events, and attractions -- Tourism intermediaries : travel agents, tour operators, and others -- Casino gaming.

"The publication of the second edition of The Economics of Tourism is a timely contribution to the theory and practice of tourism. The book retains both the rigour and relevance to the study of tourism as the original text which is considered to be the gold standard of tourism economics and is a must for those who study and undertake research into tourism from economic, environmental and social perspectives." Professor Haiyan Song, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, HK "This Second Edition is a "Wikipedia" of tourism economic research and strategic thinking and a must read for academic, corporate and policy thinkers. It builds on the earlier solid economic analysis of the sector to reflect contemporary geopolitical and socioeconomic issues. Going beyond a globalizing, poverty divided world to one where climate, population, resources and the green economy are dominant issues. We are proud of its genesis and continuing association with TTRI." Professor Geoffrey Lipman, University of Nottingham, UK

Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Many countries see it as a passport to their economic development; others express concern that uncontrolled tourism may overwhelm their natural, cultural, social, and physical resources. The question of how best to harness tourism for the good of host communities is increasingly debated and forms the basis of this book. Written in a highly accessible style for a general audience as well as professionals, it applies an economic way of thinking to tourism to help readers gain a better understanding of this dynamic and fascinating global industry.

Suitable for BTEC/HND and undergraduate courses in tourism and related disciplines

Tourism economics is partly based on established principles from the economics discipline, but it also incorporates elements from sociology, psychology, organization theory and ecology. It has over the years turned into an appealing multi-disciplinary oriented approach to the understanding of the impacts of leisure time in a modern society, including cultural heritage, sustainable quality of life, and industrial organization of the hospitality industry. The increasing dynamics in the tourist industry and its worldwide effects will continue to attract the attention of both the research and the policy sector in the years to come. Rather than speculating on non-observed facts, there is a clear need for evidence-based research in order to map out the complex dynamics of the tourist industry. The present volume comprises novel studies – mainly of a quantitative-analytical nature – on the supply, demand and contextual aspects of modern tourism. It contains a sound mix of theory, methodology, policy and case studies on various tourism issues in different parts of the world.​

The first and only comprehensive introduction to the economics of tourism... A knowledge of economic trends and conditions is fundamental to strategic planning and project development in any business. Yet, despite the fact that tourism has become the world's largest industry, until now, there were no textbooks devoted to the economics of tourism. A book whose time has finally come, Tourism Economics arms students and industry professionals with a solid working knowledge of economic concepts and analytical techniques as they apply to tourism. Written by three experts from the U.S. International University's prestigious Department of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management, Tourism Economics: Explains all important economic principles and concepts, defines key terminology, and clearly describes a number of analytical models and forecasting techniques Illustrates all points covered with numerous case studies from around the world and selected reading excerpts Requires no prior familiarity with economics and features a clear, easy-to-read, nonmathematical style "Tourism can be viewed as an institution with millions of interactions taking place, an institution with a history, body of knowledge, and a constituency of millions of people who feel themselves a part of the institution. For purposes of this book, tourism is an economic activity involving billions of dollars exchanged each month, a social science to be analyzed, trends to be identified, and costs/benefits to be computed."—from Tourism Economics The past two decades have been a time of fast and furious growth for world tourism, accounting for more than 6% of the world's gross national product ($3.2 trillion in 1993) and employing 127 million people worldwide, tourism is now, beyond a doubt, the world's largest industry. And with an average of 20,000 new jobs created per each additional $1 million spent on travel, tourism is also the most prolific generator of new jobs. As a consequence of tourism's growing preeminence, a new field has emerged over the past few years to help the tourism industry and public policymakers better understand the impact of tourism on other segments of the economy and to recognize and facilitate current and future economic trends in tourism—tourism economics. This groundbreaking book was written by three experts from the U.S. International University's prestigious Department of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management. With the assistance of numerous case studies from around the world and selected reading excerpts, they explain all relevant economic principles and concepts, define key terminology, and clearly describe a number of useful analytical models and forecasting techniques. Requiring no prior knowledge of economics, Tourism Economics features a clear, easy-to-read, nonmathematical style. A book whose time has finally come, Tourism Economics is indispensable reading for students of tourism and hospitality as well as industry professionals and researchers.