Pathways to prosperity: How tourism industry training reduces poverty

This study investigates the effects of tourism industry training (TIT) on poverty alleviation, considering both direct and indirect pathways. Integrating labour mobility theory, human capital theory, and the tourism-led growth (TLG) hypothesis, we propose a new theoretical framework. Based on panel data from 29 Chinese provinces between 2000 and 2019, the empirical results show that TIT has a significant negative effect on poverty level, depth, and severity, with a larger direct impact than the indirect effect through tourism development. We also find significant regional differences in the impact of TIT on poverty reduction, with TIT having a more substantial impact in less economically developed regions. The findings support our new theoretical framework that accounts for both direct and indirect effects, regional heterogeneity, and multiple dimensions of poverty, suggesting important implications for policy interventions aimed at leveraging tourism training for poverty alleviation.