Tourist Attractions and Economic Growth in China: A Difference-in-Differences Analysis

Yan Zhang and Jiekuan Zhang ()
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Yan Zhang: School of Tourism Management, Guilin Tourism University, Guilin 541006, China
Jiekuan Zhang: World-Class Tourism City Institute, Guilin Tourism University, Guilin 541006, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-21

Abstract: The construction of tourist attractions has become an important manifestation of local performance and the image of tourist destinations, as well as an important means for local governments to promote economic development. However, the causal relationship between tourist attractions and economic growth remains unclear. The article’s main purpose is to explore the causal effect of tourist attractions on economic growth. To do so, a difference-in-differences model is employed based on China’s city-level panel data from 2001 to 2019 involving 313 cities and 5947 observations. The results demonstrate that tourist attractions have a significant positive causal effect on China’s economic growth. Such causality is significant only in the east and central regions. Highway density, urban disposable income per capita, and the share of the tertiary industry have significant moderating effects. The validity of the causal relationship is confirmed using various rigorous robustness tests.

Keywords: tourist attraction; tourism revenue; tourist arrivals; economic growth; difference-in-differences model; causality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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