The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between changing weather conditions and tourism demand in Thailand across five selected provinces: Chonburi (Pattaya), Surat Thani, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Bangkok. The annual data used in this study from 2012 to 2022. The estimation method is threshold regression (TR). The results indicate that weather conditions proxied by the Temperature Humidity Index (THI) significantly affect tourism demand in these five provinces. Specifically, changes in weather conditions, such as an increase in temperature, generally result in a decrease in tourism demand. However, the impact of weather conditions varies according to each province’s unique characteristics or highlights. For example, tourism demand in Bangkok is not significantly affected by weather conditions. In contrast, provinces that rely heavily on maritime tourism, such as Chonburi (Pattaya), Phuket, and Surat Thani, are notably affected by weather conditions. When the THI in each province rises beyond a certain threshold, the demand for tourism in these provinces by foreign tourists decreases significantly. Furthermore, economic factors, particularly tourists’ income, significantly impact tourism demand. An increase in the income of foreign tourists is associated with a decrease in tourism in Pattaya. This trend possibly occurs because higher-income tourists tend to upgrade their travel destinations from Pattaya to more upscale locations such as Phuket or Surat Thani. For Thai tourists, an increase in income leads to a decrease in domestic tourism, as higher incomes enable more frequent international travel, thereby reducing tourism in the five provinces. Additionally, the study found that the availability and convenience of accommodation and food services are critical factors influencing tourism demand in all the provinces studied.

Although the problems created by exceeding Earth’s carrying capacity are real, a too-small population also creates problems. The convergence of a nation’s population into small areas (i.e., cities) via processes such as urbanization can accelerate the evolution of a more advanced economy by promoting new divisions of labor and the evolution of new industries. The degree to which population density contributes to this evolution remains unclear. To provide insights into whether an optimal “threshold” population exists, we quantified the relationships between population density and economic development using threshold regression model based on the panel data for 295 Chinese cities from 2007 to 2019. We found that when the population density of the whole city (urban and rural areas combined) exceeded 866 km⁻², the impact of industrial upgrading on the economy decreased; however, when the population density exceeded 15,131 km⁻² in the urban part of the cities, the impact of industrial upgrading increased. Moreover, it appears that different regions in China may have different population density thresholds. Our results provide important insights into urban economic evolution, while also supporting the development of more effective population policies.

Poverty is a key challenge to socioeconomic development globally. However, the degree to which distance from a market contributes to poverty remains unclear. To provide insights into this relationship, we quantified the relationships between distance from markets and the per capita income of rural and urban people in China based on data from 29 provinces and 2651 counties. Our results illustrate the existence of a “geographical curse”; that is, a large separation between producers and consumers can exacerbate poverty for less-affluent rural residents, who pay a larger proportion of their income to send their products to market and to purchase goods from those markets. Programs to alleviate poverty should therefore consider seeking solutions associated with reducing the impact of that distance, such as subsidizing the transport of goods, improving the transportation infrastructure, supporting innovative business practices, and balancing the locations of producers and their markets.

The MENA region, known for its significant oil and gas production, has been widely acknowledged for its reliance on fossil fuels. The dependence on fossil fuels has led to significant environmental pollution. Therefore, the shift towards a more environmentally friendly and enduring future is crucial. Thus, the current study tries to investigate the effect of green technology innovations on green growth in MENA region. Specifically, we examine whether the effect of green technology innovations on green growth depend on the threshold level of income. To this end, a panel threshold model is estimated for a sample of 10 MENA countries over the period 1998–2022. Our main findings show that only countries with income level beyond the threshold can benefit significantly from green technology innovations in term of green growth. Nevertheless, our findings indicate a substantial and adverse impact of green technology innovation on countries where income levels fall below the specified threshold.

The consensus is that price stability promotes sustainable economic growth while excessive inflation harms growth. This study assesses the linkage between inflation and economic growth in South Africa to determine the optimal inflation rate threshold for the sustainable growth of the economy. Quarterly data from 1995 to 2022 was analysed through the ARDL and threshold regressions. The ARDL and threshold regressions estimate established a relationship between inflation and economic growth and computed the optimal inflation rate threshold for economic growth at 6 percent. The results also established that both the repo rate (repurchase rate) and real effective exchange rate have a negative relationship with economic growth. The Toda-Yamamoto causality test result indicated a unidirectional causality runs from inflation to economic growth. These results are crucial for the South African Reserve Bank to discharge its monetary policy functions to attain and maintain price stability. Therefore, this study offers the Bank a roadmap for targeting an inflation rate that aligns with the nation’s long-term objectives for sustainable economic growth.

Digital labor, as a new theoretical form of "audience commodity theory" in the digital media era, represents a new form of production and labor. This paper explores the unique features of digital labor in labor form, labor products and labor time, and combining Marx's theory, it further reveals the alienation and exploitation of human social relations, emotional value and social class in the process of digital labor, and finally makes suggestions on the unequal relationship between platform and workers in the process of digital labor.