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Effects of Distance and Borders on International and Interregional Tourist Flows: A micro-gravity analysis

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  • Masayuki MORIKAWA

Abstract

Although there have been a number of studies that have applied the gravity model to migration and tourist flows, analyses covering both international and intranational movements have been scarce. This study, using unique official statistics for accommodation facilities in Japan, empirically analyzes the determinants of both international and intranational tourist flows. According to gravity model estimations, physical distance has a large, negative effect on tourist flows, but the quantitative magnitude of these effects differs little between foreign and domestic (interregional) tourists. The border effect on tourist flows is quantitatively large, and the number of tourists from foreign countries is more than 60% smaller than that from domestic ones. These results suggest that policies mitigating border barriers may contribute to a higher number of foreign tourists.

Suggested Citation

  • Masayuki MORIKAWA, 2018. "Effects of Distance and Borders on International and Interregional Tourist Flows: A micro-gravity analysis," Discussion papers 18021, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    • Handle: RePEc:eti:dpaper:18021
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Keisuke KONDO, 2019. "The Costs of Urban Agglomeration: Evidence from the Inbound Tourism Boom in Japan," Discussion papers 19106, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

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