Connectedness between travel & tourism tokens, tourism equity, and other assets

ABSTRACT

We examine the return and volatility connectedness between travel & tourism tokens and other financial assets, including travel and tourism stocks, energy (WTI oil), cryptocurrency (bitcoin) and bonds, gold, the US dollar, using a generalized vector autoregressive framework. Findings show, in normal economic periods, only weak static spillovers between travel & tourism tokens and other assets. However, dynamic analysis reveals increased intensity of spillovers between travel & tourism tokens and other assets during COVID-19. Results are consistent with travel & tourism tokens offering diversification, including surprisingly to equity of the travel and tourism industry, during downturns that particularly impact tourism.