How “Belt and Road” Initiative Affects Tourism Demand in China: Evidence from China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor

This study explores the phenomenon of tourist arrivals to China from Mongolia and Russia before and after the “Belt and Road” (B&R) initiative. The objective of this work is to investigate the success of the B&R and the influencing factors of tourist arrivals from Mongolia and Russia to China from 1994 to 2017 by using multiple linear regression. The determinants of the airline routes, the number of hotels, and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from Mongolia and Russia positively predicted the number of tourist arrivals to China. By contrast, the Internet variable negatively influenced the number of tourist arrivals from the two countries. The directions for facilitating bilateral and multilateral tourism development and implementing the B&R initiatives are also discussed.