Impact of Tourism Development on Economic Growth(Compared to Iran and Selected Countries)

Tourism industry forms different services in every country. Growth in tourism has led to economic growth. Also tourism industry creates employment in different sectors of the economy. In this study, the impact of tourism on economic development was reviewed panel data approach . In this paper, two groups of oil and non-oil producing countries in the Middle East has been studied. Oil exporting countries are including Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arabic Emirate, Kuwait and Qatar and Non-oil producing countries, are including Turkey, Pakistan, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. Hypothesis testing proved tourism growth has led to economic growth in all of ed countries. Coefficients of test the variables, was positive for number of tourists and revenue tourism in all models we estimate it. This presumption was confirmed that tourism industry has less effect on growth in oil-exporting countries.