Economic Importance of Marinas on the Polish Baltic Sea Coast
Purpose: This paper identifies the economic importance of the Polish Baltic Sea coast marinas. The investigated marinas are among the most prominent port structures and represent each section of the sea coast. In determining the economic impact of marinas, three effects were identified, i.e., direct, indirect and induced. These effects are discussed in terms of output, added value and employment. Design/Methodology/Approach: The economic importance of marinas was determined using an input-output method, often referred to as the Leontief model. The extent of the economic impact of the port was referred to the coastal sub-regions, i.e., Koszaliński, Słupski and Gdański, which are NUTS 3 territorial units. The regionalisation of the national input-output table was carried out using the Flegg location coefficient (FLQ). A comparative analysis was carried out, taking marinas in Spain and Italy as the object of comparison. The research was based on local statistics and survey results. Findings: The strength of the impact of the studied marinas is less than their initial economic impetus. The direct and induced effect had the most significant impact on the economy of the sub-regions, with the indirect effect being of minor importance. The greater strength of the impact of the Valencia Region's marinas may result from the input-output table regionalisation technique adopted and the greater self-sufficiency of port cities in Spain. The dominance of the direct effect should be linked to the extensive network of links created by nautical tourism. The minor importance of the indirect effect is due to the limited inter-sectoral linkages. On the other hand, the lower significance of the induced effect in the case of Polish marinas is related to the lower level of development of the national economy and the failure to include investment expenditures in the model. Practical Implications: The results of the study provide information for decision-makers on the economic importance of marinas. They allow investment funds to be concentrated on areas with the most significant impact on the local economy. Originality/Value: The authors of this article were the first in the country to address the economic importance of marinas using the input-output method.