An evaluation of the footprint of diversification strategy in the tourism sector: a global perspective

For the first time, the relationship between tourism market diversification and a comprehensive measure of environmental degradation – ecological footprint, has been examined in this study. Using a Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) framework, additional explanatory variables have been recognised in the analysis. A recently introduced quantile regression approach has been used to investigate the differential impacts of tourism market diversification in 94 host countries, during 1995–2018. The findings suggest that tourism market diversification generates more ecological footprint in the countries. An examination of the relationship has been further conducted with the countries divided into different income clusters. It is shown that tourism market diversification generates a lower ecological footprint in low-income countries. In lower middle-income countries and upper middle-income countries, tourism market diversification generates a greater ecological footprint. Tourism market diversification does not significantly affect the ecological footprint in high-income countries.