The Economic Impact of Tourism at Regional Level: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

We undertake a systematic literature review that looks at the economic effects of tourism at subnational levels. This review, the first of its kind to our knowledge, is timely in view of the growing body of research investigating the economic impact of tourism at subnational levels. Moreover, given the role of tourism as a regional development tool, this review would be of particular interest to policymakers. Our selection process, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach, results in 60 papers forming the basis of the review. The latter first presents the key features of the literature and synthesizes its main findings. Then it provides an assessment of the literature by i) highlighting underresearched countries and topics, and suggesting themes for future research, and ii) recommending empirical strategies to be adopted by researchers that would better reflect the economic repercussions of tourism at subnational level. All in all, our review synthesizes the research done so far and outlines some venues that could be part of the future research agenda.