The PTSA is one of the satellite accounts developed by the NSCB to measure the contribution of tourism to the Philippine economy.  Similar to the tourism satellite account (TSA) developed by World Tourism Organization (WTO), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT), and approved by the United Nations Statistical Commission, the PTSA provides a comprehensive set of information on tourism that facilitates its analysis in the context of macro-economic accounts, since it is fully linked with the System of National Accounts (SNA) central framework.

Specifically, the PTSA aims to:

1. demonstrate the output of tourism industries vis-a-vis the consumption expenditures of tourists; and

2. explain the impact of tourism through non-monetary indicators such as tourist arrivals, length of stay, types of accommodation and means of transport availed by the tourists