Tourism satellite accounts, 2007-2009

2007 was a good year for Norwegian tourism and the tourism consumption exceeded for the first time to NOK 100 billion. 2008 as a whole was equally good, but the decline began during the course of the year. The decrease hit the guests from abroad first and mainly the business travellers. This situation intensified in 2009 where the non-residents’ tourism consumption in Norway fell by more than 7 per cent from the previous year calculated in volume. Simultaneously, the Norwegians followed suit by spending less on business and leisure travel. Also here the decrease was strongest for the business travellers, and their tourism consumption in Norway fell by 6 per cent compared with 2008.

Norwegian households’ tourism consumption in Norway went down by more than 3 per cent. The households therefore contributed to the fall in total tourism consumption. The decrease was strongest for purchases of outbound trips - both package holidays and individual trips by air or sea. Adjusted for price changes, the households also spent less on accommodation and restaurant services. The volume of accommodation services went down by almost 1.5 per cent and restaurant services by almost 3 per cent. Meanwhile, the households have spent more on activities and leisure equipment than in previous years.

Norwegian households’ tourism consumption in Norway constituted 5.5 per cent of their total consumption in 2009. This share has been 5.7 per cent in previous years.

The significant decrease in total tourism consumption from 2008 has resulted in the level of the consumption measured in constant prices in 2009 to be almost the same as in 2006.

Supply and demand

Despite tourism being a demand oriented term that is often best illustrated by measuring the consumption aspect of it, it is closely related to the production in the tourism industries. This is due to the output in the tourism industries consisting to a large extent of services that are produced at the moment of delivery and subsequently consumption.

Total production in the tourism industries is calculated to be almost NOK 181.5 billion in 2009. This is a volume decrease of more than 3 per cent.

The value of the production is higher than the tourism consumption, as the tourism industries also produce goods and services that are used by other enterprises and people other than tourists. Conversely, goods and services that are characteristic of travel can be produced by industries other than the tourism industries.

Fewer employed in tourism

Employment in the tourism industries constituted 139 000 full-time equivalents according to preliminary calculations for 2009. This is a decrease of 1.4 per cent compared with the previous year. The numbers of full-time equivalents observed during the last three years are still high compared with previous years. We have to return to the years around the turn of the millennium to find similar numbers.

Despite this, the employment in the tourism industries as a share of the total employment in Mainland Norway has decreased in recent years. In Mainland Norway the employment in 2009 has been estimated to be 2 112 500 full-time equivalents. That gives the tourism industries a share of 6.5 per cent compared with 6.6 per cent in the preceding years. This is a minor change, but the share has been declining since 1996.

Tourism’s role in the Norwegian economy unaltered

A frequent measure for the value of the production in the different industries and their significance for the Norwegian economy is the added value. In 2009 the added value in the tourism industries constituted 4.3 per cent of the gross domestic product in Mainland Norway. This share has remained stable since 2003, but as with employment, it has seen a decreasing tendency since 1996.

Total value added for the tourism industries in 2009 has been estimated at almost NOK 79 billion. Compared with the previous year, this is a volume decrease of 3.4 per cent.

Tables:

• Table 1 Total tourism consumption in Norway by products. NOK million (Includes tourism consumption in Norway by resident households, resident industries and non-residents
• Table 2 Tourism consumption in Norway by non-residents by product. NOK million
• Table 3 Tourism consumption in Norway by resident households by product. NOK million
• Table 4 Tourism consumption in Norway by resident industries by product. NOK million
• Table 5 Total tourism consumption in Norway by product. Annual volume change, per cent (Includes tourism consumption in Norway by resident households, resident industries and non-residents
• Table 6 Tourism consumption in Norway by non-residents by product. Annual volume change, per cent
• Table 7 Tourism consumption in Norway by resident households by product. Annual volume change, per cent
• Table 8 Tourism consumption in Norway by resident industries by product. Annual volume change, per cent
• Table 9 Output in tourism industries at basic prices. NOK million
• Table 10 Output in tourism industries at basic prices. Annual volume change, per cent
• Table 11 Value added in tourism industries at basic prices. NOK million
• Table 12 Value added in tourism industries at basic prices. Annual volume change, per cent
• Table 13 Gross fixed capital formation in tourism industries. NOK million
• Table 14 Gross fixed capital formation in tourism industries. Annual volume change, per cent
• Table 15 Employment in tourism industries. Full-time equivalent persons (1 000), employees and self-employed
• Table 16 Output of products characteristic for tourism by industries at basic prices. NOK million
• Table 17 Output of products characteristic for tourism by industries at basic prices. Annual volume change, per cent
• Table 18 Regional output in tourism industries at basic prices. 2007. NOK million (Published 27 June 2011)
• Table 19 Employed persons by region. 2007. Number of people in 1 000 (Published 27 June 2011)
• Table 20 Value added in tourism industries by region at basic prices. 2007. NOK million (Published 27 June 2011)