A framework for understanding the nexus between tourism development and poverty: Application to Honduras

This study applied an integrative approach to understanding the connection between tourism development and poverty, with the mediating roles of human development and economic growth. The investigation introduced a framework termed Tourism-Poverty Interdependence Diamond that conceptualizes the relationships between tourism development, economic growth, human development, and poverty, which conventionally have been studied in a fragmented way. The framework was tested for several key tourism markets of Honduras, a Central American country where about half of the population lives in poverty. Using time-series data, the methodology involved unit root and cointegration testing and three-stage regression application. The results were tourism market-specific (contextual), suggesting that Honduras's tourism-poverty connection is mostly direct. The study advances our understanding of the complexities between tourism development and poverty and provides a blueprint to policymakers and destination managers on creating a better synthesis between tourism development and poverty alleviation.