The Role of Intelligence in Advancing Tourism Safety and Growth: A Cross-Country Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Tourism safety is increasingly recognized as a fundamental determinant of destination competitiveness, influencing travelers’ risk perceptions, satisfaction levels, and behavioral intentions. In the context of growing global uncertainty and strengthened competition among destinations, ensuring a safe tourism environment has become both a strategic priority and a key driver of sustainable tourism development. While the existing literature has largely pointed out the roles of institutional quality, governance structures, and infrastructure in shaping tourism safety, comparatively little attention has been paid to the influence of human cognitive capacity and intelligent systems. Addressing this gap, the present study investigates the relationship between societal intelligence and tourism safety and examines how it contributes to tourism performance across countries. Using cross-national data, the analysis investigates the association between national-level cognitive capacity—proxied by average IQ—and a range of tourism safety indicators, including perceived safety levels, exposure to crime-related risks, and tourists’ revisit intentions. The empirical results reveal a statistically significant, positive relationship, indicating that higher levels of cognitive capacity are consistently associated with improved safety conditions and enhanced visitor confidence. Countries with relatively higher cognitive benchmarks tend to exhibit more stable, organized, and secure tourism environments. In contrast, those with lower benchmarks frequently encounter difficulties related to views on safety and risk management. Furthermore, the study considers the potential two-way relationship between intelligence and environmental safety. The data suggest a reinforcing mechanism: cognitively advanced societies are more likely to establish effective institutional structures, social coordination systems, and risk-mitigation practices, which, in turn, foster more secure environments. These safer conditions subsequently support knowledge accumulation, behavioral adjustment, and institutional efficiency, thereby maintaining long-term development. In addition, interaction effects between tourism safety and intelligence are found to positively influence tourism productivity, highlighting the indirect yet meaningful role of cognitive and social capacities regarding enhancing sectoral performance. From a policy perspective, the study stresses the importance of including human capital development, education, digital governance, and intelligent technologies into tourism strategies. Such an integrated approach can strengthen destination resilience, improve safety outcomes, and enhance sustainable and inclusive tourism growth.