Spatial Spillover Effects of the Digital Economy on Tourism Demand: Evidence from China

Abstract

Despite widespread concerns about the effect of the digital economy on productivity, few studies have examined the relationship between the digital economy and tourism demand. Based on 285 China’s prefectural-level city statistical data and big data from 2011 to 2019, a comprehensive index of the digital economy is developed and a spatial econometric model is employed to investigate such relationship. The result shows that the growth of the digital economy has positive spatial spillover effects on tourism demand, contributing to extending the impact of the digital economy on tourism demand from the spatial perspective and providing insights for policymakers on regional cooperation in the digitalisation context.