05 March, 2024
In this report, the GAP Institute has made an assessment of the economic impact of DokuFest 2023 through the collection of primary and secondary data and their interpretation in economic terms. The data was collected through a survey of the festival participants regarding their expenses during the participation in the festival, which was carried out by the specialized data collection company UBO Consulting, categorizing them into two categories: as ticket buyers and non- ticket buyers.
The report states that DokuFest has made Prizren an attractive destination for tourists from all over the world. Over the years, people's interest and the number of participants in the festival has been constantly increasing. In addition to direct participation in the festival, DokuFest has attracted thousands of visitors to the city, who also come just to enjoy the atmosphere and spend on accommodation, food, and other tourist activities. This has brought a positive impact on the development of the tourism sector and at the same time on the activities of local businesses.
According to the assessment of the GAP Institute, in addition to the total amount spent, one of the main advantages of the economic impact has been the relatively equal distribution of these expenses across the various sectors of the country, starting from the accommodation industry, gastronomy, transport, etc. Therefore, the organization of DokuFest 2023 has served as an important economic stimulus not only for the city of Prizren, but for all of Kosovo.
The report also highlights the substantial economic and cultural impact of the Festival which has attracted 16,756 visitors, with a notable participation of international visitors, contributing around 4 million euros to the economy, a significant increase from the years after COVID-19. Based on the financing data and calculations on the impact of the festival on consumption expenditures, it appears that for every 1 euro invested, 7.8 euros were generated for the economy of Kosovo. Whereas, if the return on investments from public funds only is analyzed, it turns out that for every 1 euro invested, 22.8 euros were generated. The impact of the festival extended beyond direct participation, boosting local businesses and the tourism sector.
From the TAK data on the turnover of businesses in Prizren, it appears that in the period when the edition of Dokufest 2023 was held, during the month of August, the declaration of turnover marked a record value of 117 million euros during this month alone, or about 26.4 million more (29%) than in July of the same year, 2023. DokuFest's role in cultural enrichment and its considerable economic stimulus confirm its importance as a major cultural event in Kosovo and beyond.
The economic impact of DokuFest 2023 is calculated by adding up the total expenditure of visitors to DokuFest 2023, during their participation. The expenditure data was obtained from the results of the survey conducted for this analysis and multiplied by the number of visitors during the festival period. Consequently, two calculations of the economic impact have been made: the impact on consumption expenditures as well as the impact on the gross domestic product (GDP). In the table below, the data of the calculations of the economic impact of the festival that the GAP Institute has made over the years are displayed. Based on these data, in 2023, the festival had a major impact on consumption with around 4 million euros, and on the GDP of the country with over 2.8 million euros. While it had a lower impact on consumption and GDP during 2021, which was expected as a result of the difficult situation that prevailed in the country as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.