The impact of tourism on the national economy and methods of its assessment: literature review

Abstract

In the last decade, there has been a rapid growth of scientific research devoted to assessing the impact of tourism on the national economy. At the same time, existing studies of the relationship between tourism and the growth of the national economy, its potential benefits and negative externalities, are characterized by the vastness and heterogeneity of content, and often a distorted and incomplete understanding of the economic consequences of tourism. Various methods and models are used to assess the economic impact of tourism, so empirical studies vary significantly in quality and accuracy. The variety of approaches and methods causes significant discrepancies in conclusions regarding the contribution of tourism to the economy. The methods of assessing the contribution of tourism to economic growth are not without a number of drawbacks that reduce the effectiveness of their application for development management purposes. In order to highlight the basis of the research tradition in this field of knowledge, we applied the method of systematic review of the literature to analyze and generalize methodological approaches to assessing the economic impact of tourism. The article analyzed such concepts as economic contribution, economic impact, economic effect of tourism. Spatial aspects and factors influencing the economic effect of tourism are investigated. The main hypotheses and the area of existence of parameters for assessing the impact of tourism on the national economy are determined. The authors analyzed the possibilities and disadvantages of economic models used to assess the indirect and induced economic effects of tourism in modern research. The conclusions and recommendations of the authors can be used in the process of developing programs and projects for the development of tourism and the hospitality industry, improving models for assessing the impact of tourism on economic growth.