Tourism as a boost to economic growth in African countries; the case of Cameroon

Tourism as a boost to economical offset in Afri burn countries the case of CameroonABSTRACTTourism is viewed worldwide as a strategy to bring in foreign currency with the show casing of local anaesthetic adepts, works of arts and cultures ranging from food to dressing. This alike obtains in Africa and Cameroon in particular. Tourism is seen as a major p arntage of in diminish for the g overnment and offers employment opportunities to thou backb atomic number 53s of its citizens. Cameroon is diethylstilbestrolcribed as Africa in miniature belike because of its rich touristic potentials.This paper will thitherfore focus on the development of touristic potentials in Cameroon, public perception of touristry, the management of revenue from touristry and the over only economic gains it providiethylstilbesterol to the expanse.IntroductionCameroon is a Central Afri suffer nation on the Gulf of Guinea, bordered by Nigeria, Chad, the Central Afri toilet Republic, the Republic of Congo, equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. Cameroons estimated 250 pagan groups form five whacking fieldal-cultural groups atomic number 74ern bluelanders (or grassfielders), including the Bamileke, Bamoun, and legion(predicate) littler entities in the northwardswest (est. 38% of population) coastal tropical forest flocks, including the Bassa, Douala, and many splendider entities in the S divulgehwest (12%) s knocked expose(p)hboundern tropical forest peoples, including the Ewondo, Bulu, and Fang (all Beti subgroups), Maka and Pygmies (officially called Bakas) (18%) predominantly Islamic peoples of the blue semi-arid sections (the Sahel) and primaeval highlands, including the Fulani, in any case k straightwayn as Peuhl in French (14%) and the Kirdi, non-Islamic or tardily Islamic peoples of the northern desert and central highlands (18%).The people concentrated in the Southwest and Northwest arasaround Buea and Bamendause standard side and pidgin, as get a lineably as their local languages. In the three northern regions Adamawa, North, and Far NorthFrench and Fulfulde, the language of the Fulani, atomic number 18 widely spoken. Elsewhere, French is the principal language, although pidgin and slightly(a) local languages such(prenominal) as Ewondo, the dialect of a Beti clan from the capital of Cameroon airfield, to a fault is widely spoken. Although Yaounde is Cameroons administrative capital, Douala is the large-scalest and the economic capital with the briny seaport, and primary(prenominal) industrial and commercial centers.The western highlands argon amongst the about juicy regions in Cameroon and substantiate a relatively healthy surround in higher altitudes. This region is densely populated and has intensive agriculture, commerce, cohesive communities, and diachronic emigration pressures. From here, the Bantu migrations into tocopherolern, conspiracyern, and central Africa ar believed to perk up originated about 2,000 geezerh ood ago. Bamileke people from this atomic number 18a make believe in recent social classs migrated to towns elsewhere in Cameroon, such as the coastal regions, where they form often of the assembly line community. About 20,000 non-Afri batchs, including more than 6,000 French and 2,400 U. S. citizens, reside in Cameroon.HISTORYThe soonest inhabitants of Cameroon were probably the Bakas (Pygmies). They still inhabit the forests of the South and East regions. During the late 1770s and wee 1800s, the Fulani, a pastoral Islamic people of the western Sahel, conquered most of what is now northern Cameroon, subjugating or displacing its more often than not non- Islamic inhabitants.Although the Portuguese arrived on Cameroons coast in the 1500s, malaria prevented significant European settlement and conquest of the interior until the late 1870s, when large supplies of the malaria suppressant, quinine, became available. The early European heraldic bearing in Cameroon was primarily d evoted to coastal business deal and the acquisition of slaves. The northern part of Cameroon was an heavy part of the Muslim slave trade ne iirk. The slave trade was largely suppressed by the mid-nineteenth century. Christian missions established a presence in the late 19th century and continue to play a role in Cameroonian life. Beginning in 1884, all of present-day Cameroon and parts of several of its neighbors became the German colony of Kamerun, with a capital first at Buea and later at Yaounde. After ball War I, this colony was partitioned between Britain and France down the stairs a June 28, 1919 League of Nations mandate. France gained the larger geographical sh ar, transferred outlying regions to neighboring French colonies, and rule the rest from Yaounde. Britains landa strip bordering Nigeria from the sea to Lake Chad, with an equal populationwas ruled from Lagos.In 1955, the outlaw Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC), based largely among the Bamileke and Bassa eth nic groups, began an armed struggle for independence in French Cameroon. This rebellion continued, with diminishing intensity, even after independence. Estimates of deaths from this difference of opinion vary from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.French Cameroon achieved independence in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The quest year the largely Muslim northern two-thirds of British Cameroon voted to join Nigeria the largely Christian southern third voted to join with the Republic of Cameroon to form the federal official Republic of Cameroon. The formerly French and British regions from each one maintained existent autonomy. Ahmadou Ahidjo, a French-educated Fulani, was chosen President of the federation in 1961. Ahidjo, relying on a pervasive internal security apparatus, outlawed all policy-making parties barely his own in 1966. He successfully suppressed the UPC rebellion, capturing the last important rebel leader in 1970. In 1972, a modernistic makeup replaced the federation with a unitary state.Ahidjo resigned as President in 1982 and was constitutionally succeeded by his Prime Minister, Paul Biya, a career official from the Bulu-Beti ethnic group. Ahidjo later regretted his choice of successors, entirely his die harders failed to overthrow Biya in a 1984 coup detat attempt. Biya won item-by-item-candidate elections in 1984 and 1988 and flawed multi troupe elections in 1992, 1997, and 2004. His Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) party holds a sizeable majority in the legislature pursual 2007 elections153 deputies out of a essence of 180.ECONOMYCameroon is endowed with an abundance of natural resources, including in the agricultural, mining, forestry, oil and gas sectors. Cameroon is the commercial and economic leader in the CEMAC sub-region, although regional trade, especially with Nigeria, remains under-realized.Cameroons economy is passing dependent on wide exports, and swings in world prices strongly affect its gain . Cameroons economic development has been keep by economic mismanagement, pervasive corruption, and a challenging business environment (for local and foreign investors). Cameroon remains one of the lowest-ranked economies on the World Banks yearbook Doing Business and similar surveys and regularly ranks among the most corrupt countries in the world. over the last 3 years, GDP branch has averaged around 2%-3%, which is around on par with population growth further not lavish to significantly reduce high poverty levels. Despite boasting a higher GDP per capita than either Senegal or Ghana, Cameroon lags behind these two countries in important socio-economic indicators, including health and education. The government has professed a determination to foster imperative economic growth and job creation, and there is a decided uptick in interest in the mining sector and infrastructure development.For a quarter-century following independence, Cameroon was one of the most prosperous co untries in Africa. The drop in commodity prices for its principal exportsoil, cocoa, coffee, and cottonin the mid-1980s, combined with an overvalued currency and economic mismanagement, led to a decade- massive recession. received per capita gross domestic product (GDP) fell by more than 60% from 1986 to 1994. The current account and fiscal deficits widened, and foreign debt grew. The government embarked upon a serial publication of economic reform computer programs supported by the World Bank and outside(a) Monetary Fund (IMF) beginning in the late 1980s. Many of these measures have been painful, including the governments slashing of civil service salaries by 50% in 1993. The CFA francthe vulgar currency of Cameroon and 13 another(prenominal) African stateswas devalued by 50% in January 1994. The conjunction of these two events meant an overall drop in purchasing power of nearly 65%. The government failed to meet the conditions of the first quadruplet IMF programs. A 3-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) approved by the IMF in October 2005 ended in 2008. Cameroon has not negotiated any newfound IMF program but is continuing cooperation with the Fund under Article IV consultations. In 2009, the IMF disbursed $144 one thousand one thousand million to Cameroon under its Exogenous Shocks Facility to help with the cause of the global economic crisis.Official statistics for 2009 had inflation at 5.3%, indicating a debilitative of Cameroonians spending power. Public frustration over rising prices was partly to lodge for an outbreak of social unrest andviolence in many Cameroonian cities in February 2008. In March 2008, the government announced a lessening in food import tariffs and other measures designed to reduce the greet of basic commodities. The global economic crisis has seriously impacted Cameroons oil, cotton, timber, and rubber sectors, discourage exports, growth, and overall consumption.The government has made halting progres s on its privatization program. The subject Water Utility Corporation (SNEC) was split into two entities. CAMWATERto handle infrastructureremains in government hands, and a reformed SNEC is now owned by a consortium led by Moroccan Water Utility. Plans to privatize the matter air company CAMAIR and national telecom CAMTEL, however, have repeatedly faltered because of political sensitivities and concerns about corruption. CAMAIR was declared officially defunct and ceased to operate in may 2008 its replacement, CAMAIR-CO, has announced its intention to commence flights in early 2012. CAMTEL remains under the control of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.The European Union is Cameroons main trading bloc, accounting for 36.6% of total imports and 66.1% of exports. France is Cameroons main trading partner, but the United States is the leading investor in Cameroon (largely finished the Chad-Cameroon pipeline and energy provider AES Sonel). According to press reports, China r ecently became the procedure one importer ofCameroonian exports, especially unprocessed timber.The map of CameroonCameroon geographicsThe climate of Cameroon is mainly tropical along the coast but it is acerbic in the north. The land of the country is diverse, starting form the coastal nude to hinge uponains, plateau to plains. Volcanic activity from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes often take place.The natural resources of this country are iron ore, timber, bauxite, hydropower and petroleum. The agricultural products of Cameroon are coffee, bananas, cocoa, cotton, oilseed, grains, livestock, rubber and root starches. geographics of Cameroon reveals that deforestation, poaching, overfishing, overgrazing are becoming environmental issues currently.In Cameroon the southern part has got two dry seasons from November to March and June to August. The climate of the northern part is comparatively comfortable. The temperature varies from 23 degree to 26 degree C. This central plate au receives 150 cm to 60 cm rain set a year. The dry season of this region continues from October to March.Tourism in CameroonTourism in Cameroon is a growing but relatively minor industry. Since the 1970s, the government of Cameroon has cultivated the industry by creating a ministry of tourism, encouraging investment by airlines, hotels, and lead agencies. Many hotels, restaurants and guesthouses have self-aggrandizing over the years to offer good accommodation facilities to the tourists, as such more cameroonians are being employed.All of Africa in a single Country. This is a slogan of inspiration for all those who visit Cameroon and especially for expserts in Cameroons Ministry of Tourism. This country offers all major characteristics that can be nominate in other countries in Africa a highly diverse cultural minimise found in more than 200 ethnic groups, an exceptional geological, bionomic and botanic potential, wildlife in its natural form and varied climatic conditions. Th is is the main reason why tourism is ranked 10th top precession of the President and his collaborators. The objective is to make Cameroon a leading tourist destination. The add together of tourists coming to Cameroon increased from 200 000 in 2001 to about 300 000 in 2003 and this figure has steadily increased over the years. The objective in 2003 was to expose 500 000 visitors.Cameroon has more than 200 ethnic groups with over 233 languages spoken and a kind of cultural activities. at that place are also ecotourist potentials that can be developed from North to south and from East to West thanks to the highly contrasting landscape. Mountaineering and tourism on messains can also be honorable on the mountain ranges that are found all over the country. Safarican also be practiced by tour the multitude of field of drive parks which contain a diversity of mammals, shuttlecocks and other beasts. Henceforth a safari could be a visit to Waza to realise animals, then back to th e Northern parks like that of Bouba Ndjidah, or Korup in the south and the Dja national patrimony to admire the riches of nature.The some what median(a) position of Cameroon in Africa makes it really summarize a good number of characteristics of the continent, causing some people refer to it as Africa in miniature. From the leafy vegetable dense south dominated by the Equatorial forest, there is a gradual change towards a low green savanna and steppe towards the north. The Hesperian section of the country is dominated by a high relief, also dominated by savannah meanwhile the littoral section of the country has an extensive coastline marked by grayish yellow fine sands. There are also interesting aspects of the landscape marked by hypnotic grades, traditions and people. All these have led to different types of tourism which are practiced through out the year depending on the seasons.Cameroon has a good situation for sea and beach loving visitors, with about 400 km of the Atlan tic coast stretching along part of the country. Kribi and Limbe towns are the highest points of attraction for tourism on the coast. From these coasts, tourists can also carry out inland tourism to other destinations. In Kribi, there is an excellent beach of white sand excourseing over a large area with coconut trees from meter to time appearing on the scenery. The contact between the Ocean and the sea is also an extraordinary point to see. Another wonder of Kribi is found in the south where a number of cascades of about 30 m high have given rise to waterfalls, the most spectacular being the Lobe fall which issues out directly into the Atlantic Ocean. A little bit higher up this area are fishing villages Ebounja and Ebodje in which the activity is believed to be carried out miraculously. From Lobe, further visits on boats and canoes will take you to the discovery of the Pygmies of the equatorial Forest.The Limbe region is close to Douala and has a splendid site marked by the moun t Cameroon which dominates the Atlantic region of Cameroon. The pathway linking the coast to Douala passes along magnificient plantations of rubber, palms and bananas. The geology of the coastal area is generally characterized by a large expanse of grey sand. overly thanks to the geographic situation Cameroon, there is a high diversity of most living organism and flora species found in Africa, with some that can only be found in Cameroon. There are right away nine national parks serving as a safe haven for wildlife in its natural state. This are areas of safari in which visitors can observe, take photos and feel the presence of animals in nature. The Waza field of study Park is the most popular in Cameroon and one of the most spectacular in francophone shadowy Africa. It is determined in the Far North kingdom and is a nirvana for lions and numerous mammals like giraffes, elephants, cheetahs, leopards etc as well as a long colony of diverse bird species.The Bouba Ndjidah Na tional park is a territory for rhinoceros. There are equally lions, elephants, buffaloes amongst others found here. The Benue National Park is at the heart of the northern region and it is a region with the largest antelopes, hippopotamus, hyenas, panthers, buffaloes etc. The Faro National park has a large number of animals amongst which are buffaloes, rhinoceros, elephants, giraffes etc. The Kalamaloue National Park has elephants, crocodiles and a multitude of birds. The Mozogo Gokoro National park is of high botanical interest, and therefore a good site for research. The Korup national park fixed in the southern part of the country and has one of the oldest and most splendiferous tropical forests in the world. Besides National parks, Cameroon also has a good number of reserves and sanctuaries such as that of Dja and Campo which are great gorilla sanctuaries.Cameroon is also endowed with a rich cultural diversity manifested by a rich and diverse folklore, arts, habitats and way s of life. Every region has a particular folklore and music. In the south there is the Bafia dance, Bekutsi, assiko and others that are very overmuch loved by poets and visitors to the region. In the West, there is the Bamaleke dance, dominated by mantled people dancing in very attractive and picturesque costumes. The north is a whole country of fantasia, marked by decorated horsemen in painted costumes, carrying and blowing long trumpets.Handicrafts and arts are made through out the country but the West and Northern parts of the country are leaders in the sector. Bafoussam, Foumban and Bamenda are towns that are noted for their masks, decorated costumes, chairs created in the form of thrones, pipes, sculptures and statues. In Maroua, there is an attractive multicolored food market of decorated table cloths, locally tanned leather sleepers, bags and wallets of crocodile, snake or iguana skins, bracelets, hand-made carpets and decorative objects in general. There is also a rich hi storic patrimony in this region marked by monuments and antiquities as well as very ancient traditional palaces.Cameroon also has abundant potentials for ecotourism foursome sites can be visited in this respect like the Dja reserve, the Korup National Park, the Limbe botanical garden and the Ebodje village. The Limbe botanical garden was created in 1892 by a German horticulturalist in a bid to cultivate certain crops which were not adapted to the climate of Cameroon. Limbe is situated in the South West, beside the Atlantic Ocean. Several small tracks were created in this garden to facilitate easy access by visitors who come there to admire the natural wonders and biodiversity of the site. Ajungle village was created at the aggregate of the garden for cultural manifestations. It is also a centre for supranational research on biodiversity. Ebodje is a fishing village also located at the borders of the Atlantic Ocean some 50 km from Kribi. Its dishy beaches are a good site for lov ers who can take on excursions in boats organized by fishermen. Ebodje is also a regional site for the protection of marine turtles. The Dja reserve is a world Heritage site declared y UNESCO since 1987. It is located in the south and has the richest natural fauna and flora biodiversity. It has over 1500 animal species amongst which are elephants, gorillas and chimpanzees, more than 107 mammals and a large biodiversity of birds estimated at over 320 bird species. The Korup National park falls amongst one of the oldest Tropical rainforests in the world. Fauna riches in this park can be explained by the fact that this area was not totally modify off during the last ice age. Its fauna is comprised of more than 400 bird species, 140 fish species, numerous mammals and primates. More than 400 flora species have been identified in this area, with numerous medicinal plants. In terms of ecotourism, the presence of 250 fossilized dinosaur footprints at Manangia (Mayo Rey) are also be an attr action, not forgetting the mount Cameroon with its impressive height of 4070m. It is an active volcano, having a number of small rivers crisscrossing its slopes, some falling as rapids or waterfalls. To the north, the Mount Mandara and the sunny landscapes of the Kapsiki present pretty sceneries. This area is inhabited by isolated human groups of people who are animists and live totally preserved from the influence of modern civilizations. An example is the Koma people on the Mount Atlantika. Within the confines of the boundary from the South west coasts of the Atlantic towards the interior, there is a vast expanse of forest phytology that is cut across in several areas by rivers. There are equally towns and especially villages isolated in some areas having traditions that have long existed and keep on passing from generation to generation. Some of these villages are good camping sites. The north has distinct vegetation from the south there is a visible change from dense forests i n the south to a savannah landscape in the north. This begins with a vast expanse of lowland prairies on the Adamawa plateau (grazing zone) towards the north between Maroua and Kousseri on Brobdingnagian dry plains which tend to be dominated by a Sahel steppe vegetation.Culturally, annual traditional festivals are often organized in different areas of the country these are opportunities of beholding different traditional dances and costumes. Examples are the Ngondo of the coastal people, funerals of the Western people, the Ngoun of the Bamoun People which has pop off very popular and the Nyem-Nyem festival in the Adamawa. Big towns like Yaound and Douala with their immense infrastructure of hotels, banks, conference halls and hotels are favorable sites for transnational conferences and business.There are also several possibilities of carrying out leisure activities like golf clubs, darkness clubs, bars,theatre halls and swimming pools. There are more than 50 travel agencies tha t are specialized in organizing tours and taking tourists to different locations ensuring their security, nice hinderance and safe return.Cameroon also has three worldwide airports that regularly serve international flights. There are equally internal flights to the nine alternate airports found in different locations. There is equally a good road network that links the major towns and provincial capitals as well as principal tourist sites in the country. A railway line runs from the south to the north, moving from Douala to Yaounde and finally to Ngaoundere. Cameroon is an ideal tourist destination in Africa and has a good record of security. The population is very welcoming to strangers and has much to offer in terms of culture, arts and behaviors. A visit to Cameroon could be equated to visiting the whole African Continent in summary. It is therefore not wrong to refer to this country as Africa in miniature. pictorial matter 1 Tourist climbing mt, Cameroon South West RegionPic 2 elephants in Waza Park in the Far North RegionPic 3 Palace of the Sultan of the Foumban people in the Western RegionFoumban or Fumban is a city in Cameroon, lying north east of Bafoussam. It has a population of 83,522 (at the 2005 Census). It is a major town for the Bamoun people and is nursing home to a museum of traditional arts and culture. There is also a market and a craft centre, while Foumban Royal Palace contains a museum with teaching on Ibrahim Njoya who invented a new religion and the Shumom alphabet.Pic 4 A Bamun artisan in FoumbanThough touristy, Foumban is one of Cameroons major attractions and an important centre of traditional African art. Its jewel is the Palais Royal, seat of power for the Bamoun people. The ruler of the Bamoun is cognise as the sultan, and the Bamoun can trace the lineage of their sultan back to 1394.The palace, spotless in 1917, resembles a medieval chateau. It houses the Sultans Museum, which contains a multitude of royal gowns, arms, me lodic instruments, statues, jewellery, masks and colourful bead-covered thrones carved in the shapes of the men who sat on them.A few hundred metres south of the palace is the Muse des Arts et des Traditions Bamoun. This extensive collection has exhibits on Bamoun history and art, including homework implements, musical instruments, pipes, statues, masks, gongs and an ornately carved xylophone. The road that connects the two museums is the Rue des Artisans, home to sculptors, basket makers, weavers and embroiderers, and one of the best places in Central Africa to debase wood carvings. The table below show the number of tourists arrival in cameroon since 2000.YEARNUMBER OF TOURISTS ARRIVALS2000277000200122 one C020022260002003300000200419000020051760002006/2007/2008/2009/2010572.73Table 1 Number of tourists arrivals in Cameroon per year since 2000(source African statistical year book, 2009).THE ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM IN CAMEROONThe economic impact of the tourism industry is u sually assessed at the macroconomic level and can be measured in several different ways. mend tourism generates a significant amount of foreign exchange net profit that also contribute to the economic growth of developed countries, such factor of growth has not been effectively harnessed in Africa. According to the World Tourism system of rules (WTO, 2005) estimates, 766 million tourists who traveled world-wide in 2004 generated about $626 one thousand thousand (excluding transport). During the same year, Africa received nearly 5% of the global arrivals (or 33 million tourists), an increase over the 2000 level (28.2 million) of 18% (Dieke, 2004). Similar increases in benefit were also registered, as reflected by the rise in the regions market share increase from 4.1% in 2000 to 4.5% in 2005.The contribution of tourism to economic growth and development is reflected in the form of exports since it represents 40 part of all exports of services, making it one of the largest cate gories of international trade (UNWTO, 2006). In 20005, the tourism sector accounted for 3 % to 10% of the GDP of developing countries (UNWTO, 2005). Consequently, it is not affect to imagine that tourism can be a viable export-oriented economic growth strategy for bringing jobs and development to the people and help in the reduction of abject poverty.Despite its increasing importance in African economies, however, tourism has attracted relatively little attention in the empirical books on economic development. Studies examining cross-country rates of growth and development have largely focused on the contributions of exports from the agricultural and manufacturing sectors, rather than those of the service industry. scour those that explicitly get wind the tourism sector in developing nations are primarily concerned with estimating and forecasting tourism demand and income generation via the multiplier factor process (Sinclair, 1999 Bezmen, 2006).In a recent study of the economi c growth performance of Greece, Dritsakis (2004) shows that tourism has a long haul economic growth effect. development Spains economic data, Balaguer and Cantavella-Jorda (2002) confirm the validity of tourism-led growth hypothesis for long-run economic performance. Oh (2005) for Korea, Tosun (1999), and Guduz and Hatemi (2005) for Turkey have also found empirical support for the tourism-led growth hypothesis. Similarly, employing the convergence approach based on Barro and Sala-i-Martin (1992a) type analysis, Proenca and Soukiazis (2005) examine the impact of tourism on the per capita income growth of Portuguese regions and draw the shutdown that tourism can be considered as an alternative solution for enhancing regional growth in Portugal, if the supply characteristics of this sector are improved. While Cunado and Garcia (2006) also find some evidence of conditional convergence toward the African regional average (for Benin, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Djibouti, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Uganda, and Zimbabwe) and the U.S. (for Cape Verde, Egypt, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Tunisia), the coverage given to the contribution of tourism has been scant. Comparing the relative growth performance of 14 tourism countries inwardly a sample of 143 countries, Brau, Lanza, and Pigliaru (2003) document that tourism countries grow faster than all the other sub-groups (OECD, Oil Exporting, LDC, Small). Many developing countries have thus started to consider tourism as an important and integral part of their economic growth and development strategies as it serves as a source of scarce monetary resources, job creation, foreign exchange earnings, and technical assistance (Sinclair, 1998 Dieke, 2004).The spending of international tourists positively impacts the economic growth of African countries. a 10 part increase in the spending of international tourists leads to a 0.4 percent 13 increase inthe GDP per capita income. According to the World Tourism Organization (WTO), Sub-Sa haran Africa offers a considerable potential, not only for seaside tourism, but also for environmental and ecotourism, cultural tourism, sports tourism, and discovery tourism. However, this potential remains largely untapped.In economic impact of Tourism, Daniel J. Stynes gives an adequate illilustration of how tourism impacts an economy. He explains as follows A simple tourism impact scenario illustrates. Lets say a region attracts an superfluous 100 tourists, each spending $100 per day. Thats $10,000 in new spending per day in the area. If sustained over a 100 day season, the region would accumulate a million dollars in new sales. The million dollars in spending would be distributed to lodging, restaurant, amusement and retail trade sectors in proportion to how the visitor spends the $100. Perhaps 30% of the million dollars would escape out of the region immediately to cover the costs of goods purchased by tourists that are not made in the local area (only the retail margins fo r such items should normally be included as direct sales set up). The stay $700,000 in direct sales might yield $350,000 in income inwardly tourism industries and support 20 direct tourism jobs. Tourism industries are labor and income intensive, translating a high proportion of sales into income and corresponding jobs. The tourism industry, in turn, buys goods and services from other businesses in the area, and pays out most of the $350,000 in income as wages and salaries to its employees. This creates secondary economic effects in the region. The study might use a sales multiplier of 2.0 to indicate that each dollar of direct sales generates another dollar in secondary sales in this region. Through multiplier effects, the $700,000 in direct sales produces $1.4 million in total sales. These secondary sales create additional income and employment, resulting in a total impact on the region of $1.4 million in sales, $650,000 in income and 35 jobs. While hypothetical, the numbers used here are fairly typical of what one might find in a tourism economic impact study. A more exculpate study might identify which sectors receive the direct and secondary effects and possibly identify differences in spendingand impacts of distinct subgroups of tourists (market segments). One can also estimate the tax effects of this spending by applying local tax rates to the appropriate changes in sales or income. kind of of focusing on visitor spending, one could also est