Geopolitical Investments for Regional Stability Outlook: Unlocking Tourism Potential in CPEC-Linked Conflict-Prone Regions

Ahmad, Tooba; Ullah, Sami; Sami, Abdul; Kukreti, Mohit; Dangwal, Aarti

doi:10.22059/ijms.2026.400937.677919

Geopolitical Investments for Regional Stability Outlook: Unlocking Tourism Potential in CPEC-Linked Conflict-Prone Regions

Articles in Press

Document Type : SI OBOROT2025

Authors

Tooba Ahmad ¹

Sami Ullah ²

Abdul Sami ³

Mohit Kukreti ⁴

Aarti Dangwal ⁵

¹ Department of Humanities, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus

² University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan

³ Institute of Business & Management, University of Engineering & Technology

⁴ University of Technology and Applied Sciences

⁵ Chitkara University

10.22059/ijms.2026.400937.677919

Abstract

This study examines how China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) related geopolitical investments shape tourist safety perception in conflict-prone tourism regions of Pakistan, and whether regional stability mediates this relationship. Grounded in geoeconomics theory, the study conceptualizes geopolitical investment in terms of regional connectivity, communication infrastructure, and tourism infrastructure. Data were collected through a structured survey of 328 domestic tourists visiting Gilgit-Baltistan, Swat, and Gwadar, and analyzed using SmartPLS 4.0. The results show that all three investment dimensions significantly enhance tourist safety perception, with tourism infrastructure having the strongest direct effect. Regional connectivity and tourism infrastructure also significantly improve regional stability, while communication infrastructure directly reassures tourists but does not significantly affect perceived regional stability. Regional stability significantly predicts tourists' safety perception and mediates the effects of regional connectivity and tourism infrastructure on it. The study contributes to geoeconomics and tourism safety literature by demonstrating that infrastructure-led geopolitical initiatives influence not only regional development but also the psychological conditions required for tourism recovery in conflict-prone destinations.

Keywords

Geopolitics

Tourist Safety

CPEC

Geoeconomics

Sustainable Tourism Development

Subjects