| By: |
Ivlevs, Artjoms (University of the West of England, Bristol);
Smith, Ian (University of the West of England, Bristol) |
| Abstract: |
Can international tourist arrivals change residents' attitudes towards
immigrants and immigration? We discuss possible underlying mechanisms and
provide the first evidence on this question using data from the European
Social Survey (2002-2019; n=333, 505). We find that, as tourist arrivals grow,
residents become more positive towards immigration in Eastern Europe. In
Western Europe, the relationship tends to turn from positive to negative at
relatively high levels of tourism. The instrumental variable analysis suggests
that incoming tourism has a positive causal effect on attitudes towards
immigration in both Western and Eastern Europe. Overall, our study reveals an
overlooked dimension of the tourism-migration nexus and highlights the role
that international tourism may play in shaping attitudes towards immigration
and, through these attitudes, immigration policy and flows, immigrant
integration and more open and inclusive societies in tourism-receiving
countries. |
| Keywords: |
tourism, attitudes towards immigration, inclusion, Europe, instrumental variable analysis |
| JEL: |
J61 L83 |
| Date: |
2023–02 |
| URL: |
http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15953&r=tur |