Religious tourism as a driver of inclusive economic growth and poverty reduction in developing nations

Accordingly, religious tourism suggests very good opportunities to develop the economy and combat poverty in low-income countries. This paper aims to analyzing the relationship between tourism and poverty reduction and particularly the contribution of tourism in the economic development process. This paper employs the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach to examine the effect of tourism on economic development and poverty eradication, while highlighting the moderating role of economic development on tourism and poverty dynamics. The findings establish that tourism has a significant positive impact on both economic development and poverty reduction where economic development also improves poverty reduction. These results raise awareness about the need to incorporate tourism into development agendas and provide policy directions for governments interested in using tourism as an instrument for promoting sustainable development and poverty alleviation. The study adds to the extant research by presenting the real-world interrelationships of these constructs with policy implications concerning the development of tourism policies.