Economic Growth, Tourism and Selected Macroeconomic Variables: A Triangular Causal Relationship in Malaysia

Cheam Chai Li, Rosli Mahmood, Hussin Abdullah and Ong Soon Chuan
Additional contact information
Cheam Chai Li: Cheam Chai Li is at the College of Business Management, UiTM Kelantan, Bukit Ilmu, 18500 Machang, Kelantan, Malaysia, email: clcheamnet@yahoo.com
Rosli Mahmood: Rosli Mahmood is at the College of Business, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010 Sintok, Kedah, email: rosli@uum.edu.my
Hussin Abdullah: Hussin Abdallah is at the College of Arts and Sciences, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 06010, Sintok, Kedah, email: hussin2141@uum.edu.my
Ong Soon Chuan: Ong Soon Chuan is at the College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, 16010 Pengkalan Chapter, Kelantan, Malaysia, email: chuan@umk.edu.my

Margin: The Journal of Applied Economic Research, 2013, vol. 7, issue 2, 185-206

Abstract: Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world, which makes it a potential strategic factor for economic growth. This adds to the strong interest in the role of tourism in Malaysia’s economic growth as it is the second-largest contributor to foreign exchange earnings after manufacturing. In addition, empirical results associated with Granger causality among economic growth, tourism and exports within the neoclassical framework are inconsistent. The objectives of this study, thus, are to determine: the long-run relationship; the long-run and short-run Granger causality; and the long-run triangular Granger causality between economic growth and tourism receipts corresponding to selected macroeconomic variables such as government tourism expenditure, physical capital, education, health and exports as control variables. The long-run Granger causality in vector error correction model (VECM) shows economic growth, tourism receipts and health complement each other (bidirectional causality), while unidirectional causalities are found between government tourism expenditure, physical capital, education and exports to economic growth. In addition, enhancing physical capital, education, health, exports and government tourism expenditure precede tourism receipts; all these in turn indirectly lead to economic growth, thus witnessing triangular relationships among them. JEL Classification: C01, C32, L83, 047, O53

Keywords: Economic Growth; Tourism; Neoclassical Model; Johansen Cointegration; Granger Causality; VECM; Malaysia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:mareco:v:7:y:2013:i:2:p:185-206

DOI: 10.1177/0973801013483503

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