A Range of Measures of Development

Tourism is ranked number three as a global export category in 2015, after fuels and chemical
products, but ahead of automotive and food product. Tourism characterizes almost 10 percent of
the global GDP and 30 percent of worldwide services exports (Manzoor et al., 2019). Various
developing countries rank tourism as the first export sector, and its cross-cutting and labour
intensive character creates a connection to numerous other economic positions and sectors. The
vibrancy of tourism as a driver of sustainable development in developing countries is dependent
on the presence of strategies and policies for investment and trade.
The context of tourism investment and trade is partly set as national guidelines and international
agreement framework. Furthermore, the country’s tourism plan ought to be seen as a set of
objectives and direction of the industry in promoting development. Tourism is recognized as
among the key development sectors in many countries and a key creator of income and wealth.
Moreover, it promotes the international image and perception of the country externally. Countries
have a range of measures of development that are guided by:
1. Tourism direct GDP.
2. Inbound tourism earnings per visitor.
3. Overnights in all categories of accommodation.
4. Labour productivity in tourism services.
5. Exports of tourism services.