Over two decades of severe deforestation: an economic perspective of tourism development

Abstract

This study endeavours to extend understanding of the influence of tourism development on forest land for a global sample of 138 economies comprising four income groups and seven regions. The results are as follows. First, tourism development seems to have a positive association with forest land in the short run, but appears to reduce forest land significantly in the long run, especially domestic tourism. Second, domestic tourism is found to have a significant short-run positive effect on forest land in high-income economies, while it has a significant long-run negative impact on forest land in both upper-middle and high-income economies. International tourism has a significant short-run positive effect on forest land in lower-middle-income economies, while it has significant long-run negative effects on forest land in high-income economies. Third, significant long-run negative effects of tourism development on forest land are documented in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean; two regions with important forest areas.