This research explores the complex relationships between tourism, economic factors, environmental sustainability, and transportation infrastructure within the European Union (EU), as the tourist scene changes globally. Our research uses a comprehensive model to investigate the factors that influence the number of tourists arriving in the EU, focusing on the years 1990 to 2022. The model considers transportation infrastructure, environmental sustainability indices, and economic variables as major determinants of tourism flows. Economic variables encompass exchange rates, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), and per capita income, while environmental sustainability indicators include carbon footprint and renewable energy usage. Additionally, the model considers transportation infrastructure by assessing the quality and availability of transportation modes. We use a two-way fixed effect to account for any unobserved heterogeneity. Fixed effects give control over nation-specific factors that might affect tourism, as they are a reliable method to deal with potential biases in the estimated parameters. Our study aims to provide insightful information about the sustainable growth of tourism in the European Union, providing policymakers, scholars, and industry stakeholders with a comprehensive understanding of the variables influencing visitor arrivals. This research contributes to the tourism literature by integrating CE principles with behavioral insights from the theory of planned behavior, highlighting how tourists’ pro-environmental attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control influence travel choices. In the framework of the circular economy, the authors hope to inform policy choices and advance a more environmentally conscious travel industry in the EU by examining the points where economic, environmental, and transportation aspects converge.
Mansi et al. (2025) studied this question.