Adapting the Tourism Satellite Account Conceptual Framework to Measure the Economic Importance of the Meetings Industry

Abstract

This article presents the findings from research undertaken for the United Nations World Tourism Organization that examines the global meetings industry. In particular, the research investigated the type, source, and credibility of data collected on the meetings industry and the potential to use the data for evaluating the economic contribution of the meetings industry. In so doing, the article details the data that are available and presents a method, using the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), to evaluate the meetings industry on a global basis. The research found that the industry lacked clear definitions and therefore inconsistent data. The article provides suggested definitions and a conceptual framework for use in a TSA evaluation of the meetings industry.