Tourism development and carbon emissions in sub-Saharan African countries: is there an inverted U-shaped relationship?

In this study, we examine the existence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between tourism and carbon emissions in 29 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries using data from 1995 to 2019. Departing from the previous studies, we have also grouped SSA countries into low- and middleincome countries, ther...

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Main Author: Nicholas M. Odhiambo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Development Studies Research
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21665095.2024.2360986
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author Nicholas M. Odhiambo
author_facet Nicholas M. Odhiambo
author_sort Nicholas M. Odhiambo
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description In this study, we examine the existence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between tourism and carbon emissions in 29 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries using data from 1995 to 2019. Departing from the previous studies, we have also grouped SSA countries into low- and middleincome countries, thereby estimating three panels. We have used a wide range of panel estimation techniques to examine this linkage, including the dynamic common-correlated effects (DCCE), the Driscoll-Kraay estimators, and the fully-modified OLS (FMOLS). Our results show that the relationship between tourism and carbon emissions depends largely on the estimation technique used and the level of income of the individual countries. Overall, we can conclude that there is primafacie evidence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between tourism and carbon emissions in middle-income countries and all SSA countries combined, but not in low-income countries. This means that the perceived adverse effects of tourism expansion on environmental pollution may only be experienced in the early stages of tourism development and that as the tourism sector develops, tourism is likely to promote energy conservation through sustainable tourism or green tourism, thereby leading to a reduction in carbon emissions. Policy implications are discussed.
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spelling doaj-art-e55a022e8322482aadb5b78398f3c08a2024-12-09T10:24:20ZengTaylor & Francis GroupDevelopment Studies Research2166-50952024-12-0111110.1080/21665095.2024.2360986Tourism development and carbon emissions in sub-Saharan African countries: is there an inverted U-shaped relationship?Nicholas M. Odhiambo0Macroeconomic Policy Analysis (MPA) Research Programme, College of Economic and Management Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria, South AfricaIn this study, we examine the existence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between tourism and carbon emissions in 29 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries using data from 1995 to 2019. Departing from the previous studies, we have also grouped SSA countries into low- and middleincome countries, thereby estimating three panels. We have used a wide range of panel estimation techniques to examine this linkage, including the dynamic common-correlated effects (DCCE), the Driscoll-Kraay estimators, and the fully-modified OLS (FMOLS). Our results show that the relationship between tourism and carbon emissions depends largely on the estimation technique used and the level of income of the individual countries. Overall, we can conclude that there is primafacie evidence of an inverted U-shaped relationship between tourism and carbon emissions in middle-income countries and all SSA countries combined, but not in low-income countries. This means that the perceived adverse effects of tourism expansion on environmental pollution may only be experienced in the early stages of tourism development and that as the tourism sector develops, tourism is likely to promote energy conservation through sustainable tourism or green tourism, thereby leading to a reduction in carbon emissions. Policy implications are discussed.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21665095.2024.2360986Tourismcarbon emissionsU-shaped curvesub-Saharan African countries
spellingShingle Nicholas M. Odhiambo
Tourism development and carbon emissions in sub-Saharan African countries: is there an inverted U-shaped relationship?
Development Studies Research
Tourism
carbon emissions
U-shaped curve
sub-Saharan African countries
title Tourism development and carbon emissions in sub-Saharan African countries: is there an inverted U-shaped relationship?
title_full Tourism development and carbon emissions in sub-Saharan African countries: is there an inverted U-shaped relationship?
title_fullStr Tourism development and carbon emissions in sub-Saharan African countries: is there an inverted U-shaped relationship?
title_full_unstemmed Tourism development and carbon emissions in sub-Saharan African countries: is there an inverted U-shaped relationship?
title_short Tourism development and carbon emissions in sub-Saharan African countries: is there an inverted U-shaped relationship?
title_sort tourism development and carbon emissions in sub saharan african countries is there an inverted u shaped relationship
topic Tourism
carbon emissions
U-shaped curve
sub-Saharan African countries
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/21665095.2024.2360986
work_keys_str_mv AT nicholasmodhiambo tourismdevelopmentandcarbonemissionsinsubsaharanafricancountriesisthereaninvertedushapedrelationship