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Is information asymmetry alleviation always beneficial for tourism: The institutional paradox from social credit construction

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Listed:
  • Yun Tong
  • Siyu Liu
  • Yanqing Xu
  • Hao Li

Abstract

Controversies persist regarding the economic evidence on whether information asymmetry alleviation at the macro-institutional level impacts tourism. This note constructs a theoretical derivation from the dual perspectives of tourism economic scale and industrial status and ingeniously leverage China’s Social Credit Construction (SCC) as a quasi-natural experiment for empirical investigation. Findings reveal that SCC-driven alleviation of information asymmetry inhibits short-term tourism revenue and narrows the proportion of tourism in the national economy. This note highlights dynamic evaluation of information asymmetry’s macro-tourism impacts and advances dialogue between institutional economics and tourism economics.

Suggested Citation

  • Yun Tong & Siyu Liu & Yanqing Xu & Hao Li, 2026. "Is information asymmetry alleviation always beneficial for tourism: The institutional paradox from social credit construction," Tourism Economics, , vol. 32(1), pages 237-248, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:toueco:v:32:y:2026:i:1:p:237-248
    DOI: 10.1177/13548166251377591
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    References listed on IDEAS

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