How significant is tourism for Berlin’s economy? The updated study, ‘Tourism as an Economic Factor in Berlin – TSA 2023’, provides a comprehensive answer to this question. Using the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA), which is based on international standards set by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, the study systematically records tourist consumption expenditure and its resulting effects on value added and employment.
Tourism as an economic factor in 2024
Tourism is a key economic factor in Germany. The DIW Econ study ‘Wirtschaftsfaktor Tourismus 2024’ (Tourism as an Economic Factor 2024) analyses the industry’s current economic significance on the basis of a so-called nowcast. This is a statistical extrapolation of selected TSA result variables to the present day (2024). This is because the latest official TSA (Tourism Satellite Account) results from the Federal Statistical Office only go up to 2021 and are still significantly affected by the impact of the pandemic.
Competition in Switzerland works
Although there are only a few providers in many Swiss industries, competitive pressure is high. A study by DIW Econ on behalf of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) shows that market concentration in Switzerland is in line with the European average, with Swiss companies achieving significantly lower mark-ups. A key driver of this is the strong focus on foreign trade: even in sectors where there are only a few domestic players, international competition creates price pressure and incentives for innovation.
A study of the social circumstances of self-employed people in Germany
DIW Econ has successfully completed the BMAS research project ‘Investigation of the social situations of self-employed persons in Germany’, in collaboration with infas – Institute for Applied Social Sciences. As part of the project, a nationwide survey of over 2,000 self-employed individuals in main and secondary employment was conducted in 2024. The survey covered topics such as their employment situation and history, income, finances, and social security provisions.
The vending machine industry between regulation and economic trends since 1993 – Update 2025
In a recent study commissioned by VDAI Verlags- und Veranstaltungsgesellschaft mbH, DIW Econ evaluated how the scope for action in the gaming machine industry has developed over the last 30 years. Entitled ’40 Pfennig Höchsteinsatz – Die Automatenwirtschaft zwischen Regulierung und ökonomischen Trends seit 1993 – Update 2025′ (40 Pfennig Maximum Bet: The Vending Machine Industry between Regulation and Economic Trends since 1993 – Update 2025), the study describes the latest developments in the industry’s economic environment, including sharp rises in energy and personnel costs, as well as the renewed expansion of illegal gaming machines.