Month: June 2026

MEASURING THE EUROZONE’S TOURISM ECOEFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY SUSTAINABLE CHARACTER: A SLACK-MODELED TOURISM-INDUCED DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS

George EKONOMOU

Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of Thessaly

goikonomou@uth.gr

Dimitris KALLIORAS

Professor, University of Thessaly

dkallior@uth.gr

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate how technical efficiency and productivity patterns changed in the Eurozone’s tourism sector over the period 1996-2019. To achieve this, a Slack-Based Measure (SBM) within the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) framework was employed. A key strength of this study lies in the carefully selected, multidimensional set of variables that captures the economic and structural heterogeneity of the tourism sector. To strengthen our approach, we also used proxies for environmental degradation. Results reveal an average efficiency score of 0.53 for input-oriented DEA and 0.81 for output-oriented DEA, whereas the Malmquist index score is 1.026. Panel results indicate a positive and significant effect of renewables on technical efficiency. Granger’s causality test reveals a unidirectional relationship from renewables to output-oriented technical efficiency. Practical implications call for practices that reduce environmental burdens while simultaneously increasing desirable revenue outcomes.

Keywords: tourism, economy, sustainability

JEL classification: O47, Z32, Q56

pp. 175-191

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ODA PROFILES AND DONOR-SIDE ECONOMIC OUTCOMES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF JAPAN AND SWEDEN

Jungeun KIM

Senior Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Media Design, Keio University, 4 Chome-1-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 223-0061, Japan; Co-first author.

elly@kmd.keio.ac.jp

Woosik YU

Assistant Professor, Department of International Commerce, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-darero, Dalseo-gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea; Corresponding and co-first author.

wsyu1224@gmail.com

Abstract

This study examines how different Official Development Assistance (ODA) profiles are associated with donor-side macroeconomic outcomes by comparing Japan and Sweden from 1960 to 2020. Rather than treating donor intent as directly observable, the paper uses Japan and Sweden as analytically contrasting cases: Japan is characterized by an ODA profile oriented toward economic diplomacy and regional development, while Sweden is characterized by a norm-oriented and welfare-centered ODA profile. Using annual macroeconomic data from the Penn World Table, OECD DAC statistics, and the World Development Indicators, we estimate country-specific growth regressions for GDP per capita growth, productivity growth, employment-rate growth, composite input growth, and export growth. The results show that Japan’s ODA is not significantly associated with income, productivity, employment, or export growth under the reported specification, whereas Sweden’s ODA is positively associated with income, productivity, and employment-rate growth, but not export growth. These findings should be interpreted as case-specific associations rather than causal evidence that one aid profile generates superior domestic returns. The contribution of the paper is to shift attention toward donor-side economic outcomes and to develop a bounded comparative framework for examining how aid profiles, rather than aid volume alone, may relate to long-term domestic economic patterns.

Keywords: Official Development Assistance, Donor-Side Economic Outcomes, Japan, Sweden, Aid Strategy, Comparative Political Economy

JEL classification: F35, O47, F43

Acknowledgement: The authors, Jungeun Kim and Woosik Yu, are co-first authors.

pp. 159-173

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ECONOMIC GROWTH AND Β-CONVERGENCE IN EUROPE: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM REGIONAL PANEL DATA, 2011-2023

Evgenia ANASTASIOU

Researcher, Department of Business Administration, University of Thessaly, Gaiopolis, Larissa Ringroad, 41500 Larisa, Greece

evanastasiou@uth.gr

Abstract

This paper examines regional economic growth and β-convergence across European regions using panel data for 233 NUTS-2 regions over the period 2011–2023. The analysis explores whether regions with lower initial income levels experience faster growth and investigates the factors associated with regional growth dynamics. The empirical framework relies on alternative panel data specifications to assess the robustness of the convergence process and to examine the role of key economic and demographic variables. The results indicate the presence of β-convergence among European regions, suggesting that regions with lower initial levels of economic development tend to grow more rapidly over time. Investment activity and migration dynamics emerge as important determinants of regional economic performance, whereas labour and demographic variables show less stable effects across model specifications. Using a recent dataset covering both the post-financial crisis and post-pandemic period, the paper provides updated evidence on regional convergence patterns in Europe. The analysis also reveals differences in convergence dynamics across groups of regions, indicating that structural characteristics and regional conditions influence the pace of economic adjustment. These findings contribute to the empirical literature on regional growth and offer insights relevant to regional development and cohesion policies in the European Union.

Keywords: Regional economic growth, β-convergence, regional disparities, panel data analysis, European regions

JEL classification: O47, R11, R12, R58

pp. 147-158

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