International tourism and exports of agro-food products: a causality analysis

Abstract

This study analyses the relationship between inbound tourism and exports of agro-food products with respect to Portugal and its major tourism and trade markets by recurring cointegration and causality tests. The results confirm that there is a relationship between the variables in supporting the argument that international tourism may contribute to overcoming informal barriers to trade and promoting exports of agro-food. They also confirm that internationally sold products may act as a tourism marketing tool, stimulating curiosity in foreigners about such products’ country of origin. The results reveal that the dynamics differ according to the partner that is analysed. This paper ends with theoretical and empirical implications and a discussion of the potential factors that may contribute to these differences.

Keywords:

• International tourism
• exports
• agro-food products
• informal barriers
• causality
• Portugal

Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.