Tourism-Led Growth Hypothesis and Foreign Direct Investment in ASEAN

Abstract

This study tests the relationships of visitor spending, foreign direct investment in the tourism sector, and the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the period of 1988 to 2011 to prove the tourism-led growth hypothesis. The results of panel regression show that tourism-led growth hypothesis is valid for the ASEAN countries. Factors determining the GDP per capita in these countries are visitor spending, foreign investment and government consumption in tourism sector, human capital and trade openness. The results from this study suggest that the governments of the ASEAN countries are able to have effective growth policies by encouraging foreign direct investment in the tourism sector and improving their human capital. Therefore, ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) which will strengthen and facilitate investment cooperation and human capital developments in the tourism sector among ASEAN countries will have a significant benefit to economic growth in the region.