Abstract
Initiation of tourism coupon programs in various destinations in China in 2009 was an innovative policy response to the general nationwide economic downturn brought about by the world financial crisis. Given the size of the Chinese tourism market and the unique role of authorities in China's tourism development, studies on tourism coupons have profound theoretical and practical implications. This paper utilized a Data Envelopment Analysis approach to evaluate comprehensively the economic effectiveness of tourism coupons in eight representative Chinese destinations. In particular, correction coefficients were incorporated to adjust relevant output indicators to a consistent and comparable level. The results showed that the integrated efficiencies of the tourism coupons in all examined destinations had been quite high, thereby validating the policy success of the tourism coupon programs. Practical suggestions are also provided on the technical and operational aspects of the tourism coupon programs.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
