Measuring efficiency in tourism: A problem of shared factors and multiple attributes in DEA

The current research makes three main contributions to the DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) literature. First, when using DEA to derive an efficiency score for a given DMU, it is normally assumed that each and every DMU has its own unique set of inputs and outputs, there are situations whereby a DMU can have a factor that is shared with other DMUs. This means that one must view efficiency from the perspective of groups of DMUs rather than from the perspective of the individual DMU. Second, two stage problems can, in the presence of shared factors, result in different groupings of DMUs in one stage than in another. Third, in certain circumstances efficiency can be viewed from the perspective of multiple attributes (e.g. different types of tourism). Herein, we develop a model to cater for these features and illustrate the model using a data set on tourism in Mexico.