Exploring the red tourism–aviation nexus through the PVAR model: The case of China during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly impacted the tourism and aviation sectors, leading to a shift from international to domestic travel, especially in China. Cultural tourism, including red tourism, was still active and played a pivotal role in China’s domestic tourism during the pandemic. This study used the panel vector autoregression (PVAR) model and the panel Granger causality test to investigate the interplay between red tourism, airline seat capacity, and the COVID-19 cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study contributed to the existing literature of the interplay (or the endogenous interaction) among these three endogenous variables. It found that red tourist numbers have significantly affected airline seat capacity in Chinese domestic market in the face of the disruptive effects of COVID-19. Red tourist numbers and airline seat capacity have the positive and negative relationships with the COVID-19 cases of origin cities but not at red tourism destinations. Although it primarily focuses on China’s red tourism, this study highlights avenues for cross-cultural exploration and a deeper understanding of the dynamic interplay among red tourism, aviation, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study concludes by offering insights in developing and shaping cultural tourism and industry’s preparedness strategies, helping the tourism and aviation industries recover and thrive in the post-COVID-19 era.