Innovation in establishing tourism satellite accounts in China

Favorable conditions for creating China Tourism Satellite Account

Since TSA is composed of some logically strict and coordinated account forms, there are many difficulties in the process of establishing it. However, with the continuous development of China's economy, the establishment of a China Tourism Satellite Account generally has the following advantages: First, rich experience in international TSA theory and practice. The internationally successful TSA theory and practice shows the highest level of internationalization and scientificization of tourism statistics and tourism accounting. TSA provides a powerful tool for macroeconomic analysis and decision-making in the tourism economy. Establishing a tourism statistics and accounting system based on international standards is not only an important means for the government to formulate macroeconomic policies, effectively plan and manage tourism services, but also an important prerequisite for entering the international tourism industry. Second, the Chinese government attaches great importance to it. After China participated in several World Tourism Organization meetings, the National Tourism Administration conducted pilot work on research and preparation of tourism satellite accounts in some provinces and cities in China. On this basis, the National Tourism Administration and the National Bureau of Statistics agreed to formally launch the research and compilation of the "China National Tourism Satellite Account" in 2006. Third, the internationalization of China’s tourism statistics has achieved initial results. National accounts are the framework and reference point for the statistical system. TSA provides specifications for establishing a scientific tourism statistical system: select indicators, define concepts and build an indicator system under the TSA framework. The statistical process should cover a wider range of information and provide internationally comparable, high credibility and consistency data. In June 1991, the World Tourism Organization promulgated the "Draft Recommendations on Tourism Statistics" and promoted it worldwide as an international standard in the form of the "Draft Recommendations of the World Tourism Organization and the United Nations on Tourism Statistics".

China’s attempt to establish a tourism satellite account

The reason why China has successively begun to establish regional tourism satellite accounts for pilot projects in Xiamen, Qinhuangdao, Guilin, Jiangsu and other regions is mainly because China There are still several problems in the establishment process of TSA: First, the cost is high and the task of collecting detailed travel-related data is arduous. In particular, there are problems such as insufficient data and backward data in data collection, which extremely affects the establishment of China TSA and the accuracy of account data. Second, the statistical data that TSA relies on cannot be updated frequently, also because of the high cost. Third, some definitions and conclusion forms adopted by TSA are not consistent with those traditionally used in tourism, which may cause some misuse and uselessness, or incomprehensibility and use. Fourth, although China has foreign experience to draw from in the establishment of tourism satellite accounts, the establishment of China's TSA must also proceed from the country's actual conditions.

In September 2002, the Jiangsu Province Tourism Satellite Account Compilation Pilot Working Group completed the "Jiangsu Tourism Satellite Account System Construction" and systematically proposed the concept of Jiangsu regional tourism satellite account. In 2006, the National Tourism Administration and the National Bureau of Statistics jointly formed a working group to officially launch the research and compilation of national tourism satellite accounts. At the report appraisal meeting held by the "China National Tourism Satellite Account" project working group on March 1, 2007, a research group composed of relevant experts from the National Bureau of Statistics and the National Tourism Administration, after long-term research work, based on the United Nations Statistical Commission approved "Tourism Satellite Account: Proposed Methodological Framework" is the basic principle, and using relevant data from the first national economic census and national economic accounts in 2004, a partial account sheet of the "China National Tourism Satellite Account" was initially compiled.

Innovation of China Tourism Satellite Account

In order to fully communicate the existing results and extend the influence of TSA to China’s entire tourism industry, China Tourism Satellite Account should adopt measures in communicating with other countries. new measures. First, state tourism offices involved in developing the TSA are required to prepare a series of tabulations of industry-specific facts using non-technical language to provide aggregate statistics for each industry. Secondly, the content and format of each factual data representation can be determined in consultation with relevant industry representatives and distributed to relevant personnel through the association's own mailing list. At the same time, future versions of the satellite account should include more detailed industry classifications, especially for attractions.

The basic framework of China’s existing tourism satellite account should keep pace with the times and add some newly developed tourism consumption information to the TSA account. On the other hand, in view of the shortcomings of TSA's information lag, the data in TSA should be updated and released in a timely manner.