International tourist arrivals as a determinant of the severity of Covid-19: international cross-sectional evidence
Imad A. Moosa, Ibrahim N. Khatatbeh
Abstract
The imposition of international travel restrictions to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus has been a controversial issue. In this paper we examine the effect of international tourist arrivals on the population fatality rate and the case fatality, where fatality is caused by Covid-19, using a cross-sectional sample covering 146 countries. In addition to international tourist arrivals, 12 other explanatory variables are examined. Data on the dependent and explanatory variables were obtained from various sources, including the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the World Bank, BBC and other sources. The role of internal population mobility is not considered explicitly, but it is captured by measures of lockdown that restrict movement. The results of the empirical analysis show that international tourist arrivals have a greater effect on the severity of Covid-19 than any of the other factors. This means that the imposition of international travel bans is justifiable by the objective of containing the virus.