Input-output effects of the Turkish hospitality industry in the Covid-19 era

The tourism sector has a vital role in the Turkish economy, where around 8% of total employment and 4% of GDP are generated owing to tourism. According to TurkStat data, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, total tourism demand in Turkey contracted by 60% between 2018 and 2020. Using the Input-Output (IO) methodology, this study investigates the country-level and sectoral effects of this tourism demand contraction on the Turkish economy. The idea is that various sectors provide inputs to tourism, and the outputs of the tourism sector are used as inputs by other sectors. By focusing on the hospitality industry, i.e., the accommodation and food services(AF) component of tourism, changes in Turkey's overall and sectoral output, value added, and employment are analysed. The results reveal that food processing and agriculture are the most affected sectors, whereas the least affected ones are health services, education services, and the automotive industry.