Tourism issues: seasonality and economic structure

Identifier:  TDX:4197

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX4197

Authors:  Vancells Farraró, Albert

Abstract:
The relevant role of tourism at a social and economic level, representing more than 10% of GDP, continues to require greater knowledge of the problems that affect it. With this orientation, the thesis aims to study the structure of the sector in two significant aspects. The first is the seasonality, evolution and economic determinants that affect it and the second is about the structure of the sector. In the first chapters, seasonality at the European Union level is analyzed, based on the methodologies proposed by Duro (2016), Rosselló et al. (2004) and Turrión-Prats and Duro (2018). The Gini index is used as a measure of seasonality, taking the EU countries of 15 states and regions as a reference. Another objective is based on the decomposition of Lerman and Yitzaki (1985), analyzing which are the countries and regions that generate greater seasonality. The third objective focuses on the study of the economic determinants that explain seasonality. As an innovation, apart from those proposed by Rosselló et al. (2004), new variables are introduced, unemployment and inequality. Allowing to open a new field in the investigation of the seasonality but also in the study of the tourist demand. Finally, the Input-Output study provides knowledge about the structure of the Catalan tourism sector and the relationships established between the subsectors. The results allow us to see the relationships and effects that occur between tourism subsectors and other sectors of the economy. In conclusion, it is observed that a set of implications are derived from the thesis: theoretically, the thesis contributes to the generation of knowledge and the opening of new fields of study. From a practical point of view, the results would be relevant to guide those policies aimed at reducing seasonality, improving seasonal forecasts, anticipating economic effects, among others.