Abstract
Wildlife holds not only intrinsic value but often carries additional symbolic significance. Wild animals are frequently utilized in political diplomacy as mobile attractions with unique symbolic meanings. This study investigates the influence of animal diplomacy on the inbound tourism of host countries by examining pertinent literature on animal tourism and diplomacy. Utilizing panda diplomacy as a natural experiment, the impact of panda diplomacy on Chinese inbound tourism is analyzed through the multi-period difference-in-differences and synthetic difference-in-differences model. Results indicate that, compared to countries without panda diplomacy, the arrivals to China from countries engaging in panda diplomacy decreased by an average of 39.9%. These findings suggest that animal diplomacy dampens tourism demand in the host country. The multi-period difference-in-differences can overestimate the policy effects of panda diplomacy. This study aims to inform animal diplomacy policymaking and foster inbound tourism development in relevant countries or regions.
Published Version
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