A note on forecasting international tourism demand in Spain

This paper considers the extent to which price and income proxy variables help in forecasting tourist demand in Spain. Contrary to some recent studies, we found that the inputs' contribution in terms of fitting and forecasting is nil when compared with alternative univariate models. Whether these findings are the results of the restrictions embedded in building the proxy inputs or in a poor specification of the dynamics of these models remains to be seen. We also contend that when dealing with medium, long-term forecasting comparisons, the use of the traditional aggregate accuracy measures like RMSE and MAPE help very little in discriminating among competing models. In these situations, predicted annual growth rates may be a better alternative.     

汇率和需求不确定下跨国投资决策的实物期权分析

在对实物期权理论和跨国投资相关文献研究基础上,分析企业在汇率和需求不确定条件下跨国投资的风险和期权特征,构建了基于实物期权思想的跨国投资决策模型。通过数值求解,分析了跨国投资情况下,企业拥有的实物期权价值。     

中国宏观经济形势与政策:2009—2010年

本文依据中国经济增长与价格形成理论模型以及CMAFM计量模型,分析与预测2009—2010年间中国经济在积极财政政策和适度宽松货币政策支持下的复苏过程。本文认为,中国需求管理应该继续采取扩张性政策取向,完成中国经济景气从萧条到繁荣的周期形态转换,并且与中国经济发展的高储蓄—高投资—高增长模式相适应,形成以促进国内投资需求为轴心的政策架构。     

Debt sustainability in emerging market countries: Some policy guidelines from a fan-chart approach

This paper uses a probabilistic approach to simulate the medium-term public debt trajectories of several major emerging market countries. We extend the standard debt sustainability analysis framework so as to more faithfully reproduce these countries’ economic reality in two aspects. First, we allow them to differ in the cyclical stance of their fiscal policy and in their degree of fiscal responsiveness to debt. Second, we explicitly integrate the specific risk premium paid by each country when borrowing in foreign currency. It allows us to evaluate the impact of alternative policies that the government may consider to improve sustainability. The results lead to three policy recommendations: i) a country should consider decreasing its exposure to currency risk only in extreme cases (like Argentina); ii) on the contrary, greater fiscal responsiveness (i.e. stronger fiscal tightening whenever there is a debt increase) could enhance sustainability to a much greater extent; iii) countries with low responsiveness to debt or a poor fiscal consolidation track record should be cautious with countercyclical fiscal policies, as they may trigger an unsustainable debt trajectory in the trough of the economic cycle.     

基于生态系统服务空间流的洪涝调节 服务需求制图与生态空间优先级识别

中国快速城市化地区面临严重洪涝风险和洪涝调节 服务供需空间的分离。为识别在满足洪涝调节服务需求方面重 要性高的生态空间以纳入保护的优先级,提出了一种在生态空 间中绘制洪涝调节服务需求的新技术：基于生态系统服务空间 流,利用流量、流边界、流方向、分配原则及其修正因子4个 多维指标,表征将服务需求从建设空间向生态空间分配与投射 过程的关键环节。结果显示：面积大、人口密度高的建设空间 存在高需求流量;借助水文空间流,服务需求由建设空间被分 配至同一集水区内具有洪涝调节能力的生态空间中;被投射为 高服务需求的生态空间大多规模较大或紧邻高需求的建成空 间。通过控制流量、扩展流区域、增加流方向和提升生态空间 服务供应能力,能有效调控投射于生态空间内的洪涝调节服务 高需求。     

A New Approach to Random Utility Modeling using the Dirichlet Multinomial Distribution

In this paper we introduce a new econometricapproach to analyzing recreational site choicedata, the Dirichlet multinomial model. Thismodel, which nests the standard conditionalmultinomial logit model, can accommodateover-dispersed data and may provide moreefficient estimators of coefficients andconsequent welfare measures than the standardconditional logit model, which is so widelyused in the Random Utility Model approach torecreation demand. We illustrate thisDirichlet approach using a data set of rockclimbers in Scotland, and study the impacts onper-trip consumers surplus of alternativemanagement strategies for popular rock climbingsites. Results show that the Dirichletmultinomial approach produces coefficient andwelfare estimates having smaller samplingvariability in this case. We also compareclassical welfare measures with their posteriorequivalents, which allow for welfare changes tobe dis-aggregated.     

城镇居民保障性住房体系实证研究--以江苏省为例

保障性住房一直是国人关注的热点,为解决广大中低收入居民住房困难,我国已经初步建立起了多层次保障性住房体系,但是各地保障性住房建设依旧相对滞后,供给与需求之间仍然存在很大矛盾,为了认清并解决这些难题,文章先对保障性住房的概念、理论基础及现状进行研究,然后结合保障性住房的影响因素以江苏省为例进行实证研究,得出保障性住房供需缺口巨大且供需结构存在不平衡的现状,最后为保障性住房体系的构建提出相关政策建议。     

大城市物流需求变化的综合评价与规律研究——基于7个副省级城市的实证分析

城市物流需求变化规律是城市物流网络规划及物流节点空间布局的重要基础.在成都、深圳、南京、武汉、西安、青岛、长春7个副省级城市中物流需求的规模、质量、效率与效益指标选取基础上,将类比分析、工业化进程划分、比例换算与关联度分析结合,分析物流需求变化规律.结果表明:处于不同工业化、城市化发展阶段的城市,物流需求变化存在共性规律;物流业与工业化进程、城市化率关系紧密,是推动新型工业化、新型城镇化建设的重要支撑;物流业对就业的支撑与带动作用有助于物流需求的规模、质量、效率与效益提升.     

The elasticity of demand for wagering in an unregulated market

The literature estimating the take-out rate (price) elasticity of horse race wagering has consistently found values far above one. The persistence of these apparently inefficiently high prices can be attributed to institutional factors of the US market where federal taxes are imposed on the total amount wagered, and not on the bookmakers’ revenue. By investigating all horse races in New Zealand from August 1993 to April 2009, our article is the first one to consider price setting for wagering in an unregulated market where taxes for a monopolistic betting agency are based on revenues. In such a setting, one would expect elasticities close to one, but in all econometric specifications, we find values well below one. We identify two reasons why higher prices could nevertheless reduce profits: cross price elasticities are negative and, due to the specific features of parimutuel betting, international competitors may only be attracted when take-out rates are above a critical threshold.     

Firm credit in the euro area: a tale of three crises

Using survey data from 2009 to 2011, we analyse the effects of the recent euro area economic, financial and private debt crisis on the supply of and demand for bank finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). At the country level, we identify three distinct aspects of the recent crisis in the euro area affecting firm credit through different channels. Controlling for country fixed effects, the impact of a weak real economy on firm credit operates both by reducing firms’ demand for bank financing and by lenders increasing loan rejections and tightening terms and conditions on credit allocated. On the other hand, financial conditions have no significant effect on demand, but they do affect credit supply as we find that financial tensions worsen the chances of obtaining credit and its terms and conditions. We interpret this as evidence of a bank balance sheet channel negatively impacting credit provision. We find that private sector indebtedness has important effects on SMEs’ credit access and its terms and conditions.