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Clouds and crowds: A meta-analysis of air pollution and tourism demand-experience dynamics

delete2026-08-06
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PRE
AI
T
Tingting Huo
Y
Yang Yang *
L
Linjia Zhang
DOI:10.1016/j.tourman.2026.105504delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Empirical evidence on how air quality shapes tourist responses remains inconsistent. Drawing on a meta-analytical framework and cognitive-relational theory, this study synthesizes the effects of air pollution on demand- and experience-related outcomes across the travel process. The analysis pools 974 estimates from 58 demand studies and 92 estimates from 8 experience studies on destination-side pollution, as well as 483 estimates from 17 demand studies on origin-side pollution. After correcting for publication bias, air pollution has a mild, partly remediable adverse effect on tourism demand, while evidence for tourist experience is less consistent. The demand effect remains robust across destination-only and origin-destination settings, whereas origin-side air pollution has a negligible, statistically insignificant positive effect. Meta-regression results indicate that between-study heterogeneity is mainly driven by international tourism contexts, online word-of-mouth measures, PM2.5 or air quality index measures, and long-run effects. This meta-analysis provides actionable implications for scenario-based planning, forecasting and econometric practice.
Keywords:
Air pollution
Tourism demand
Tourist experience
Meta-regression
Publication bias

Journal

Tourism Management cover
Tourism Management
IF:
12.4
Papers:
5.7K
Citations:
3.4W

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the hong kong polytechnic university
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3.9K
Papers: 2.3K
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xi'an jiaotong-liverpool university
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789
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Temple University
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1.1W
Papers: 8.7K
Citations: 1.9W
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