Mapping the Tourism Industry: Insights and Implications

Abstract

This research offers a holistic view of the tourism industry by addressing data scarcity and classification complexities. Central to this framework is the ATECO 2007 classification, spotlighting core sectors like: accommodation, food and beverage services, travel agencies but also agritourism that are often, wrongly, categorized under the agricultural sector. Methodologically, the study consolidates data from diverse sources and collaborates with regional entities to rectify classification discrepancies and fill informational gaps. We propose effective solutions, introducing imputation methods able to rectify cases where data on employed individuals is absent for specific local units. By applying our integration and imputation procedure to the provinces of Emilia-Romagna, we obtain a more accurate description of the tourism industry that better aligns with the theoretical framework of a sector at the intersection of core and extra-core sectors. The higher employment and the different spatial distribution we found may serves as a foundation for informed policy decisions and targeted policy formulation to promote economic growth, job creation, and sustainable tourism practices.