Google Trends Help Predict Tourism to Bahamas, IMF Study Shows

Photographer: Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

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Online searches can help countries predict tourist visits more accurately and give governments a better read on economies that depend on the industry, an International Monetary Fund analysis showed.

Combining Google Trends data with traditional forecast models improved accuracy of predicted tourist arrivals to the Bahamas from the U.S by about 30%, according to a working paper by IMF senior economist Serhan Cevik released Friday.