Tourism Satellite Account

With the support of key partners, the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) recently concluded the compilation of the country’s first Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), for the year 2019. The TSA integrates data on the supply and use of tourism-related goods and services into a single format, providing base information for the understanding and monitoring of tourism activities in Belize. The Belize 2019 Tourism Satellite Account is comprised of a set of eight tables, which was compiled using the United Nations World Tourism Organization framework and is consistent and integrated with the 2008 System of National Accounts, which is used for estimating Belize’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The TSA measures expenditure in Belize by resident and non-resident tourists and provides a picture of the overall size of the tourism industry as well as its direct contribution to GDP and employment. It should be noted that the TSA captures only the direct value-added of tourism to total GDP and does not include indirect contributions to the economy.