A critique of tourism-led economic growth studies

Abstract

During recent decades numerous academics have examined the tourism-led economic growth (TLEG) hypothesis, and a large number of related empirical studies have been published in the tourism literature. However, the research designs for many of these studies have not satisfactorily addressed the theoretical foundation that underpins the TLEG hypothesis. Their empirical analyses may therefore lead to unreliable or even misleading conclusions. This study critically evaluates these TLEG studies from both theoretical and empirical perspectives and provides recommendations for future TLEG studies.