Resumen de Tourism as a long-run economic growth factor: the spanish case

Jacint Balaguer, Manuel Cantavella Jordá

• This paper examines the role of tourism in the Spanish long-run economic development. The tourist-led growth hypothesis is tested. The results indicate that, at least, during the last three decades economic growth in Spain has been sensible to persistent expansion of international tourism. The increase of this activity has produced multiplier effects over time. External competitivity has also been proved in the model to be a fundamental variable for Spanish economic growth in the long run. From the empirical analysis it can be inferred the positive effects on income that government policy, in the adequacy of supply as well as in the promotion of tourist activity, may bring about.