Sharing Tourism Satellite Account with Deputy of National Accounts and Statistical Area Analysis

Banjarbaru – To support the formulation of tourism expansion activities and evaluate government policies in the tourism sector, comprehensive indicators are needed to provide an overview of the tourism sector’s development, known as the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA). In an effort to better understand these indicators, Statistic of South Kalimantan Province had the opportunity to receive guidance from the Deputy of National Accounts and Statistical Area Analysis (NAS) during a “Tourism Satellite Account Guidance and Knowledge Sharing” session. This event was held on Monday, July 4, 2022, in a hybrid format (both online and offline) at the Vicon Room on the 1st floor of the Statistic of South Kalimantan Province Office, and via Zoom.

The session was moderated by the Head of Statistic of South Kalimantan Province, Yos Rusdiansyah, and was attended by the heads of BPS offices across Kalsel (online), the General Affairs Department, all function coordinators at Statistic of South Kalimantan Province, Senior Statisticians, and the Functional Statisticians in the National Accounts and Statistical Area Analysis division from both the provincial and regional BPS offices in Kalsel (online).

In his introduction, Deputy of National Accounts and Statistical Area Analysis, Moh. Edy Mahmud, explained that BPS is not just a provider of quality statistical data. BPS must take on an even higher role as a decision support entity capable of assisting in any government policy. "Currently, all ministries and agencies rely on BPS. BPS must be able to position itself as a key player," he stated. Edy Mahmud further elaborated that the inception of TSA stemmed from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy’s need for tourism accounts data to map tourism supply and demand. Given the number of sectors related to tourism, such as tourism services, hotels, transportation, and more, "It is currently challenging to measure tourism’s share in Kalsel because there are so many activities involved. The TSA will help measure the performance of the tourism and creative economy sectors using a Supply and Use Table (SUT) basis," he added. The indicators generated by the TSA include Gross Value Added Tourism Industry (GVATI), Tourism Direct Gross Value Added (TDGVA), and Tourism Direct Gross Domestic Product (TDGDP).

Edy Mahmud also emphasized the importance of data quality, which must always be maintained in all BPS activities. Therefore, quality assurance activities are carried out to ensure the quality of BPS’s products. He reminded participants that for every producer, the most important aspect is the quality of the products. “If BPS produces the same data as another producer, then the higher quality data will be the one chosen,” he said.

Previously, Yos Rusdiansyah, in his introductory remarks, illustrated that the TSA depicts tourism movements that have forward and backward linkages. By matching tourist demand with the supply provided by the government, it becomes easier to calculate the added value of the tourism sector in detail. As a result, regional government policies in the tourism sector can be made more accurately, thus positively impacting South Kalimantan’s economy.

In her introduction, Senior Statistician at the National Accounts and Statistical Area Analysis Function, Tita Rosy, added, “Tourism data should not all be borne by BPS; regional governments should also be aware of data on the number of restaurants, hotels, and creative industries in their areas. The contribution of regional governments in the One Data Indonesia initiative must be optimized.”

With the improvement of TSA, it is hoped that tourism-related data will become more complete and of higher quality, providing valuable input for policymakers to develop South Kalimantan according to its unique characteristics.