Towards a comprehensive human resources module for tourism satellite accounts in Egypt

Purpose – This research paper aims to develop a comprehensive tourism satellite account‐human resource module (TSA‐HRM) which can complement and enhance the analytical capacity provided by the TSA, allowing for a broader insight into tourism's role in the economy, especially that of Egypt. Design/methodology/approach – The objectives have been achieved through reviewing the literature in the fields of tourism satellite account (TSA) and its handling of tourism employment. To answer the research questions, one strategy and one method associated with the qualitative approach are used. The strategy refers to the case study, while the method refers to participant observation. An in‐depth analysis of the TSA project in Egypt was performed using the Data Quality Assessment Framework (DQAF) introduced by the International Monetary Fund. Findings – The results indicate that statistics on tourism‐related employment in Egypt are usually fragmented, difficult to compare and often lack quality, credibility and reliability. Thus Egypt is in need of a way to improve tourism labor market statistics. However, the process of assessment of the TSA project in Egypt shows that Egypt has good experience in implementing the TSA system. The application of the TSA in Egypt at this high level will create a new horizon for improving the quality of tourism employment statistics. Research limitations/implications – At the time of the research Egypt was in the process of constructing its first TSA, and this of course is considered one of the limitations. Since the introduction of TSA to the Egyptian tourism industry in 2009, the statistical system of tourism has made a considerable contribution to improve the quality of data, based on evaluating some of the DQAF criteria, but there are no results so far. The present situation caused the study to fall within the theoretical framework, without producing any statistics on tourism employment in Egypt according to the proposed TSA‐HRM. Practical implications – The model proposed will provide detailed data about employment, labor or human resource issues related to tourism in the Egyptian economy, which provides a useful resource for planning policy and decision making. Originality/value – Considering the research findings, the study developed a comprehensive quantitative (monetary and non‐monetary) and qualitative tourism human resources module of tourism satellite account to extend the analytical capacity of the TSA as well as trace most issues relevant to the tourism labor market in Egypt.