Digital economy drives tourism development-empirical evidence based on the UK

The digital economy has become a driving force in global tourism development. The data from 2011 to 2019 is used to study the influence of the digital economy on tourism in the UK. It is found that the digital economy of each country (region) had a driving effect on the UK's tourism with a marginal increasing trend. Heterogeneity tests show that the digital economy had positive effect on the tourism business and holiday market, and the increasing level of digital economy in Europe and OECD countries also contributed to the development of tourism in the UK. According to the influence mechanism, the digital economy of various countries (regions) could promote the tourism development by improving the quality of the regime, strengthening market control capability and increasing freedom of trade. Finally, relevant suggestions were put forward from the perspectives of government regulation, digital infrastructure construction, and applications of digital technology.