A Ky Fan minimax inequality for quasiequilibria on finite dimensional spaces

Several results concerning existence of solutions of a quasiequilibrium problem defined on a finite dimensional space are established. The proof of the first result is based on a Michael selection theorem for lower semicontinuous set-valued maps which holds in finite dimensional spaces. Furthermore this result allows one to locate the position of a solution. Sufficient conditions, which are easier to verify, may be obtained by imposing restrictions either on the domain or on the bifunction. These facts make it possible to yield various existence results which reduce to the well known Ky Fan minimax inequality when the constraint map is constant and the quasiequilibrium problem coincides with an equilibrium problem. Lastly, a comparison with other results from the literature is discussed

Estimating Tourist Externalities on Residents: A Choice Modeling Approach to the Case of Rimini

During their holidays, tourists produce direct and indirect effects on local residents, which can either be positive or negative. In this paper we investigate how residents of Rimini, a popular Italian seaside resort hosting more than ten million national and foreign overnight stays every year, internalise such effects. We use a stated preference approach and, in particular, a discrete choice modelling technique; within this framework, we are able to test some conjectures about residents’ welfare, by measuring their willingness to pay for alternative scenarios regarding the use of the territory. Tourist policies and public investments in the destination affect residents’ welfare, and our results might suggest areas of potential synergies and trade-off, leading to important policy implications.Tourism, External Effects, Discrete Choice Modelling

Abnormal Returns of Soccer Teams: Reassessing the Informational Value of Betting Odds

We analyse the links between soccer match results, bets and stock returns of all listed European soccer teams. Using an event study approach, we measure abnormal returns following wins, ties and losses. Wins are associated with positive abnormal returns, and ties and losses with negative abnormal returns. Additionally, we analyse the role of bets in shaping market reactions to unexpected results, which we find to be non-significant. We propose an alternative econometric approach, using seemingly unrelated regression models, to take into account the problem of overlapping events. While our results concerning match results are confirmed, abnormal returns following unexpected results are found to be statistically significant and to magnify the positive (negative) effects of wins (losses).Soccer and Bets; Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Event Clustering; Seemingly Unrelated Regression Equation (SUR)

Air Passengers and Tourism Flows: Evidence from Sicily and Sardinia

Tourism plays an important role in the economies of many Mediterranean countries, since it is a crucial driver of economic growth, job creation, and income. For this reason many countries set up a wide variety of programs and policies to support the development of this economic sector. It is therefore very important, for scholars and policy makers, explaining and forecasting tourism demand. Using air passengers flows as proxy variables for tourist arrivals, we set up some VAR model specifications in order to investigate the monthly time series 2003-2008 of arrivals to the most important Italian islands, Sardinia and Sicily. Our results show a significant inter-temporal relationship among tourism flows. Furthermore, our findings reveal that both meteorological variables (atmospheric temperatures and raining days) and exchange rates (Dollar-to-Euro and Yen-to-Euro) can improve the explanatory and forecasting power of VAR models.Airports, Air transportation, VAR model

Tribal Art Market. Signs and Signals

In this paper, we present a model for the marketability of a Tribal artwork and we test this model empirically using a unique hand-collected dataset, which comprises the worldwide Tribal art market auctions between 1999 and 2008. Our results show a significant relationship between the probability of an artwork to be sold and several signs and signals. The effect of the auction estimated prices on the probability of sales is nonlinear, and allows us to divide the Tribal art market into two price regimes. In the low-price regime, the effect of the auction estimated price on the probability of sales is negative. In the high-price regime, the effect of the auction estimated price on the probability of sales is positive.Tribal art, Signs, Signals, Veblen effect, Conspicuous consumption

Second Homes vs. Hotels: A Suggestion for a Self-enforcing Policy

We set up a theoretical model, in which the policy maker of a tourism destination has to choose how to allocate the limited natural resource - land - between private holiday accommodations (i.e. second homes) or hotels. In a framework of partial equilibrium, the policy maker minimizes a loss function which measures the loss of political consensus and is de ned by a linear combination of the policy maker and the local community preferences. We can obtain both a corner solution, in which we have extreme choices of only holiday houses or only hotels, and an internal solution, in which we have a linear combination of them. To do that the policy maker can use as economic policy instruments either standard policies (indirect control - a Pigou tax - or direct control - regulation) or non-standard policies (a reinvestment commitment of the …rm in the tourism destination). The final policy maker decision was made by assessing the welfare consequences of the policy implications.

A Note on Multiplicative Uncertainty and Partisan Policies

In this paper we consider the effects of «multiplicative» uncertainty about the structure of the economy in the standard partisan model. An increase in the uncertainty decreases of the inflation rate pursued by the liberal policymaker, but increases the inflation rate pursued by the conservative policymaker. For certain configurations of the parameters, an increase in the uncertainty reduces the expected loss of both parties

The wise use of leisure time. A three-sector endogenous growth model with leisure services

In this paper, starting from the two-sector Uzawa-Lucas model, we study a three-sector endogenous growth model with leisure services. By extending the endogenous growth model with leisure developed by Ladrón-de Guevara et al. [1999], our model generalizes the standard time allocation problem, in that it explicitly accounts for the way total time is allocated between work, education, purely free time and time spent on leisure services, where the latter represents therefore an additional time-consuming activity. Accordingly, service consumption is tied to a production sector for leisure services in our model. We fully characterize Balanced Growth Path (BGP) equilibria in terms of time allocation and growth, and show that multiple BGPs are possible. Since service production plays an important role in economic development, we carry out a comparative analysis of the dynamic performance of different economic systems - Post-Industrial Economy vs. Service Economy - along a BGP

Modelli previsionali univariati: i passeggeri negli aeroporti della Sardegna

In questo lavoro confrontiamo la capacità previsionale di alcuni modelli di Exponential Smoothing e ARIMA stagionali. Distinguendo tra arrivi totali, nazionali e internazionali, prendiamo in esame il traffico passeggeri negli aeroporti della Sardegna nel periodo 2003-2009. Fra i modelli proposti, quelli di Exponential Smoothing registrano una migliore performance nel caso degli arrivi totali e nazionali. Il modello ARIMA, invece, offre una maggiore affidabilità nel caso degli arrivi internazionali

Government fiscal efforts vs. labour union strikes. Strategic substitutes or complements?

To unveil the strategic interaction between the government and the labour union in a unionised economy, a policy-game model is estimated by cointegrated Vector Autoregressive system using Italian quarterly data (1960-2009) on government budget surplus (fiscal efforts), hours not worked (strikes), unemployment and real wages. The long-run cointegration relationships are interpreted as the players' reaction functions and the long-run equilibrium as the equilibrium of the game. The identification of the long-run cointegration relationships allows indeed to determine if efforts and strikes are strategic complements or strategic substitutes. Finally, speed of long-run adjustment provides insights about the effectiveness of government and labour union strategies