Flight availability and international tourism flows

This paper analyzes the effect of flight supply on international tourism flows between 20 Italian regions and 24 European countries, observed half-yearly from 1999 to 2010. We find that low-cost carriers have a prominent role in attracting international tourism flows. Our estimates suggest that an additional round-trip flight operated by a low-cost carrier generates about 74 arrivals and 248 overnight stays in hotels or similar facilities; in the case of a full-service carrier these figures decrease to 29 and 97, respectively. These findings are relevant for the current debate on the drivers of tourism development.