Examining the nexus between tourist arrivals and transportation sector-based emissions in Mediterranean countries: evidence from quantile regressions via method of moments

In this study, the impact of international tourist arrivals on CO₂ emissions caused by transportation is investigated using the quantile regression via method of moments (MMQR) approach with data for the period 1995–2019 from selected Mediterranean countries. Moreover, testing of tourism-induced environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis is included in the analysis in terms of transportation sector-based pollution. The U-shaped correlation between economic growth and transportation sector-based emissions in all quintiles is revealed, as well as tourist arrivals are found to increase emissions up to higher quintile levels. At lower quantile levels, an increase in tourist arrivals increases the emission level by approximately 0.06%, while at medium quantile levels this positive effect is approximately 0.07%. This result indicates the necessity of considering emissions from the transportation sector in the tourism-induced EKC for new policy insights. In addition, the findings highlight the environmental impacts caused by tourism through the prism of transportation sector.