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Using domestic tourism data (1999–2014) and inbound tourism data (1999–2016), this research applies linear and nonlinear models to investigate the impact of World Heritage Sites (WHS) on inbound and domestic tourism expansion (TE) in terms of tourist arrivals and tourism receipts and then tests whether or not the impact of WHS on TE is instant. The results show a notable influence of WHS on tourist arrivals and tourism receipts and identify several differences between the impacts of WHS on inbound and on domestic TE. Moreover, the relationship between WHS and TE exhibits an inverted U-shaped curve. The optimal number of WHS for TE is four, and there is a significant instantaneous effect of WHS on domestic TE. Differently, the impact of WHS on inbound tourism shows a 1-year lag. Lastly, we perform dynamic regressions as a robustness check and discussion and implications are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses dynamic panel data to investigate the effects of Cultural World Heritage Site (CWHS) and Natural World Heritage Site (NWHS) on China's domestic tourism receipts (DTR) and inbound tourism receipts (ITR). The results show evidence of a positive asymmetrical relationship between World Heritage Site (NWHS and CWHS) and both kinds of tourism receipts. The impact of NWHS on DTR follows scale effects, while that of NWHS on ITR obeys the law of decreasing marginal utility. The link between CWHS and inbound and domestic tourism receipts follows an inverse U-shaped pattern. The optimal numbers of NWHS and CWHS obtained from those non-linear models vary, while the effect of NWHS and CWHS on DTR can be strengthened by the presence of each other, but only the impact of CWHS on ITR is influenced by NWHS. Furthermore, we describe the implications of the research results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]