Abstract
Although much of the recent research has explored the relationship between domestic tourism and income inequality among regions, provinces, and cities, few studies have examined the impact of domestic tourism on income inequality between urban and rural areas within a region. This paper uses a panel dataset covering China’s 31 provinces for 21 years to investigate the spatial spillover effect of domestic tourism on urban-rural income inequality. An increase in domestic tourism revenue in neighboring provinces leads to a reduction in the local province’s urban-rural income inequality. Innovatively, we decompose domestic tourism revenue and consider the circumstances in different provinces. An increase in the number of neighboring provinces’ domestic tourists’ arrival decreases the local province’s urban-rural income inequality in western provinces but increases the inequality in eastern provinces; the effect is insignificant in central provinces. In order to improve urban-rural income inequality by attracting domestic tourists, this study suggests a collaborative strategy for the western region, a low-priority strategy for the central region, and a mitigation strategy for the eastern region.
Highlights
The direct effect was −0.044 with a statistical significance at the 1% level, indicating that a 1% increase of domestic tourism revenue leads to a decline of 0.044% in the urban-rural income inequality ratio
The indirect effect is −0.124 and is statistically significant at the 5% level, indicating that the local urban-rural income inequality would decrease by 0.124% if domestic tourism revenue in all neighboring provinces simultaneously increased by 1%
Domestic tourism has a broader scope for reducing the income gap between urban and rural areas, because Shi et al [22] only find a significantly negative impact of inbound tourism revenue on urban-rural income inequality in the western region, not in the central and eastern regions
Summary
The literature regarding the effect of tourism on income inequality has three different concerns. The first concern is income inequality, such as geographic scope and population scope. The second indicates that domestic tourism may be mixed with international tourism as tourism. The third studies the spatial effects of income inequality and tourism
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.