Developing a thriving domestic tourism sector in emerging economies: a horizon 2050 paper

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to argue for the development of a vibrant domestic tourism sector in emerging economies as a means of moving towards a more sustainable tourism sector and achieving many of the goals outlined in the UNWTO’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Design/methodology/approach It uses a perspective approach through a critical state-of-the-art review of selected domestic and international tourism studies. Findings This paper illustrates how developing such a sector will provide a range of economic and social benefits to emerging economies and their residents, as well as lowering the per-capita tourism carbon footprint of destination areas. Practical implications This study identifies policy initiatives that can be developed to help emerging economies transition from an international tourism focus to a more balanced focus. Social implications This study indicates the social benefits of developing a domestic tourism sector in emerging economies. Originality/value It equips national tourism organisations and small and medium tourism enterprises with specific actions for the use of tourism as a prosperity tool in the pursuance of these benefits. It, further, calls for a research agenda on investigating how emerging economies are uniquely progressing towards this global goal through thriving domestic tourism recognising that each economy is culturally different.

Capturing The Dynamics of Environmental Degradation and Economic Growth in Selected Developing Countries: Using Simultaneous Equation Approach

“…The econometric research findings indicated a clear correlation between the growth of tourism and factors such as income per capita, trade openness, and the number of international visitors entering the country, these results are also consistent with Shan & Ren, 2023. After analyzing empirically, it was evident that there was a positive correlation between population and income per capita and CO2 emissions (Agyeiwaah & McKercher, 2024).…”