The impact of China’s cooperative breeding program of giant pandas on Chinese inbound tourism

Amity, cultivated through close interpersonal contact, is vital for good international relations. China’s Cooperative Breeding Program for Giant Pandas exemplifies the nation’s dedication to fostering international goodwill and cultural exchange. To empirically evaluate the impact of this program on inbound tourism to China, a staggered difference-in-differences model was utilized, analyzing tourism inflow data from 158 countries from 2004 to 2019. The findings reveal that the panda breeding program has positively influenced tourism inflows, with effects persisting over time. Notably, the birth of panda cubs abroad also encourages travel to China. Additionally, the strongest positive effects are observed in countries less open to the external world and those with effective governance. These results remain consistent after employing instrumental variables, propensity score matching techniques to refine samples, and excluding special cases. This research offers valuable insights for policymakers on strategically leveraging natural and cultural heritage to achieve mutual benefits in global tourism.