| The ecological footprint is one of the important environmental impact indicators of humanity’s demand for crop,forest,fishing grounds,grazing,and built-up land as well as for the area of land required to assimilate CO2 emissions and waste generated by human activities.In addition,the ecological footprint measures the amount of land that is required to assimilate CO2emissions and waste generated by human activities.This indicator depicts the resource budget and environmental degradation of the world,a region,a country,or a city in a particular year.It might apply to the whole planet or just one of these entities.The present study investigates the Environmental Kuznets Curve relationship between travel and tourism and ecological footprint in Pakistan over the period 1980-2021.For this purpose,the impact of tourism development,economic growth,energy consumption,trade openness and foreign direct investments on ecological footprint is empirically examined within the EKC framework.The aim is to explore the potential synergies and trade-offs among these factors in order to promote sustainable development in the country.The ecological footprint serves as an indicator of the environmental impact caused by human activities,while tourism development and economic growth are crucial drivers of national progress.However,the pursuit of economic growth and tourism development often results in increased resource consumption and environmental degradation,raising concerns about ecological efficiency and long-term sustainability.Through a comprehensive analysis of existing literature,statistical data,and empirical evidence,this study provides a holistic understanding of the ecological footprint of Pakistan’s.The research incorporates various dimensions,including energy consumption,carbon emissions,and natural resource utilization.The ARDL bounds and Bayer and Hanck tests indicate that variables in this study have long-term cointegration.Results revealed a tourism-led growth hypothesis and an inverted U-shaped relationship between travel and tourism and ecological footprint in Pakistan.The ARDL and Toda-Yamamoto non-causality results reveal that energy use and trade openness are at the cost of ecological footprint.Moreover,inflow of foreign direct investment also adds environmental degradation and support pollution haven hypothesis.Similarly,Imbalanced and unplanned social and economic development along with urbanization is the main reasons for environmental degradation in Pakistan.Eco-efficiency approach is used to make development tangible so that sustainable urban development can be promoted.Eco-efficiency of Karachi is found lowest among all other cities.Lahore has the high prosperity score as compared with Karachi but its eco-efficiency is greater than Karachi.Differences in eco-efficiency among cities are fare more than the differences in prosperity scores.Eco-efficiency is not found in accordance with the pattern of spatial development in Pakistan.It has been suggested that distinguished polices should be developed by the Government as per the need of the cities.Current study calls forth the recognition of eco-efficiency by Government and the masses in order to put it into implementation for sustainable urban development.Thus,sustainable tourism,fuel mix variation and services sector oriented foreign direct investment should be the target of policymakers.Furthermore,the study examines the policies,strategies,and initiatives implemented by the government,local communities,and tourism stakeholders to enhance ecological efficiency and mitigate the ecological footprint associated with tourism development.It critically evaluates the effectiveness of existing sustainable tourism practices and identifies potential areas for improvement.The findings of this research emphasize the importance of adopting a balanced approach that fosters tourism development while minimizing the negative environmental impacts.It highlights the need for integrated planning,policy coherence,and stakeholder collaboration to achieve sustainable tourism practices that contribute to economic growth while preserving the natural environment.Ultimately,this study provides valuable insights and recommendations for policymakers,tourism practitioners,and stakeholders in Pakistan to promote a sustainable tourism industry that optimizes ecological efficiency,ensures economic growth,and safeguards the country’s valuable natural resources for future generations. |
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