摘要
The present study aims at exploring the causal relationship between tourism industry and GDP in the economic cooperation organization （ECO） countries for the period of 2000-2010. To this end, the causal relationship between the two variables was examined using panel data and Granger standard causality test. The results demonstrate a unidirectional causality from GDP to the number of tourists coming to the ECO countries, it is also concluded that a rise in the country＇s GDP provides necessary conditions for investment on all sectors of the economy including the tourism sector. In such conditions, if the country＇s economic priorities comprise tourism development, then tourists will start visiting the country and the industry will flourish. Thus, policy-makers should focus on the increasing GDP if they want to increase the tourists＇ influx.
