IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jjrfmx/v17y2024i5p206-d1394355.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impact of COVID-19 Travel Subsidies on Stock Market Returns: Evidence from Japanese Tourism Companies

Author

Listed:
  • Hideaki Sakawa

    (Graduate School of Economics, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4678501, Japan)

  • Naoki Watanabel

    (Graduate School of Economics, Nagoya City University, Nagoya 4678501, Japan)

Abstract

This study examines stock market response (SMR) to the Japanese tourism industry (TI) after the government’s announcement of travel subsidies (TRSs) during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, using a sample comprising 80 listed Japanese firms in the TI and an event study method (ESM) to determine the impact of government policy responses (GPRs) to the pandemic. This study found that investors in the TI reacted positively to the announcement of subsidies; this positive effect persisted for 50 trading days after the announcement but was weaker for transportation firms. The results suggest that TRSs are important for the TI, with a stronger link to travel-related firms, such as airlines and travel agencies, hotels, and amusement services. However, investors in the TI reacted negatively to policies that directly addressed the pandemic, such as social distance policies (SDPs). These results are robustly confirmed when we measure abnormal returns by using a three-factor model. The results offer useful insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to mitigate economic loss from disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Hideaki Sakawa & Naoki Watanabel, 2024. "Impact of COVID-19 Travel Subsidies on Stock Market Returns: Evidence from Japanese Tourism Companies," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-11, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jjrfmx:v:17:y:2024:i:5:p:206-:d:1394355
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1911-8074/17/5/206/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1911-8074/17/5/206/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Xiuping Ji & Naipeng (Tom) Bu & Chen Zheng & Honggen Xiao & Caixia Liu & Xuesheng Chen & Kangping Wang, 2024. "Stock market reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic: an event study," Portuguese Economic Journal, Springer;Instituto Superior de Economia e Gestao, vol. 23(1), pages 167-186, January.
    2. Matsuura, Toshiyuki & Saito, Hisamitsu, 2022. "The COVID-19 pandemic and domestic travel subsidies," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Okubo, Toshihiro, 2022. "Traveling and eating out during the COVID-19 pandemic: The Go To campaign policies in Japan," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    2. Guizzardi, Andrea & Ballestra, Luca Vincenzo & D'Innocenzo, Enzo, 2022. "Hotel dynamic pricing, stochastic demand and covid-19," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    3. Wang, Xuhui & Xi, Haonan, 2023. "Carbon mitigation policy and international tourism. Does the European Union Emissions Trading System hit international tourism from member states?," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    4. Yu, Ling & Zhao, Pengjun & Tang, Junqing & Pang, Liang, 2023. "Changes in tourist mobility after COVID-19 outbreaks," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    5. Wangbing Liang & Zhao Li & Yinggang Bao & Bing Xia, 2022. "Risk Perception of COVID-19 as a Cause of Minority Ethnic Community Tourism Practitioners’ Willingness to Change Livelihood Strategies: A Case Study in Gansu Based on Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theor," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-19, December.
    6. Pappas, Nikolaos, 2023. "Came and gone? A longitudinal study of the effects of COVID-19 on tourism purchasing intentions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    7. Funashima, Yoshito & Hiraga, Kazuki, 2023. "Did the Japanese government’s travel subsidy increase the number of hotel guests and infection during the COVID-19 pandemic?," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 1005-1025.
    8. Boto-García, David, 2023. "Investigating the two-way relationship between mobility flows and COVID-19 cases," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    9. Willem Thorbecke, 2023. "Japanese Economic Performance after the Pandemic: A Sectoral Analysis," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-17, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jjrfmx:v:17:y:2024:i:5:p:206-:d:1394355. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.