Migration, tourism, and the development of the home countries: Evidence from Morocco

Abstract

  The aim of this paper is to study, both theoretically and empirically, tourism as a channel of Migration and Development. Relaying on migration networks and trade literature, the study suppose that migration networks affect positively tourism flows to the origin countries. Theoretically, global migration networks effect on tourism is composed of migrant generations, transactions, preferences and emigrants’ life style effects. Such effects could adapt, promote and advertise tourism flows to origin countries. Empirically, the gravity model has been used to estimate the global effect of networks on Moroccan tourism inflows from the eight principal immigration countries during the periods (2000, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014). Our study reveals that a ten-percent rise in the emigration rate from Morocco increases the real value of Moroccan tourism inflows by 1.3 %.   Key words: Migration, Networks, Tourism, Development.