Determinants and spatial spillover effects of inbound tourism in Chinese cities

Purpose By using a wide range of macro and micro factors, this paper aims to provide a new assessment of the recent literature on inbound tourism demand models. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the determinants and spatial effects of inbound tourism using Hausman–Taylor and spatial econometric models. Findings Several important factors were identified, including local economic growth, openness to the outside world, regional size, geographic distance, foreign direct investment, level of innovation and average annual temperature. In addition, the study found strong cross-city competition effects on tourism resource endowment and hotel infrastructure. Originality/value Inbound tourism is a crucial link in achieving high-quality economic development. However, previous studies have mainly focused on the analysis of single influencing factors, ignoring the spatial spillover effects of factors.