Productivity Measurement in Tourism: The Need for Better Tools

摘要

It is the goal of this article to provide noneconomists with an overview of productivity, its measurement and challenges specific to tourism, and the current state of research. The focus is on macroeconomic considerations, not firm-specific productivity. A survey of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development member and nonmember countries identifies the main input and output measures used as well as the inconsistencies in their application and the data gaps that still need to be addressed. Other research issues yet to be resolved include how to capture the quality aspects of both input and output variables as well as the cocreated value of experiences that are consumed at the moment of production.