Methodology for measuring tourism characteristics activities: an application for Brazil and its Federal Units

Abstract The purpose of this article is to propose a methodology to measure the size of characteristic activities of tourism. The proposal is based on the principle of measurement on the supply side, using the same techniques used to measure activities within the scope of National and Regional Accounts. Using data from Brazil and its Federative Units, between the years 2010 to 2015, the results found pointed out, that as far as the contribution of tourism characteristic activities to the national value added is concerned, coastal states tend to stand out, the South and Southeast regions are hegemonic in nominal terms, and it was possible to observe a real decrease in tourism in 2015.