Circular economy, environmental quality and tourism receipts in Europe: A time series data analysis

PLoS One. 2023 Nov 30;18(11):e0288098. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288098. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

The study examines how progress towards a circular economy (CE), patents related to recycling and secondary raw materials as a proxy for innovation, affect tourism receipts. The study uses Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) and Error Correction Method (ECM) to analyse time series data from EU countries from 2000 to 2020. Our estimates show that there exist long-run and short-run equilibrium relationships. In sum, evidence shows that promoting circular innovative practices, including recycling and using secondary raw materials in tourist destinations, could improve environmental quality and positively impact tourism receipts. The study concludes with policy and practical suggestions for circular economy innovation towards green tourism, destination management, and sustainable tourism.

MeSH terms

  • Carbon Dioxide / analysis
  • Data Analysis
  • Economic Development*
  • Europe
  • Time Factors
  • Tourism*

Substances

  • Carbon Dioxide

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.