Impact of Sustainable Tourism on Environmental Changes in the Selected European Countries

This study explores the relationship between tourism development and the quality of environment in the top five European economies, including Italy, France, Spain, Greece, and Germany, from 2000 to 2021. In using the Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR), with the assistance of secondary data from the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the study provides a vast coverage of the tourism and environment relationship in terms of capturing the relationship between the Human Development Index (HDI), Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita Gross Domestic Product Per Capita Gross Domestic Product Per Capita, and the inflow of International Tourists and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in various quantiles. The results indicate that HDI is a strong determinant of CO2 emissions and is directly correlated in all quantiles. Conversely, GDP exhibits a consistent negative correlation, suggesting a structural decoupling of economic growth from carbon intensity, suggesting a structural decoupling of economic growth from carbon emissions in these developed nations. Most interestingly, international tourist arrivals exhibit heterogeneous effects which they are insignificant at the lower quantiles while turning to have a significantly negative impact at the 75th and 95th percentiles. These, therefore, present that tourism may add its quotas to emission reduction at higher carbon intensity levels through improving efficiencies. In conclusion, the study finds that government efforts should be directed at ensuring better environmental regulations and enhancing sustainable eco-tourism practices for the long-term ecological viability of the industry.