The Role of FinTech and Digital Marketing in Enhancing Financial Inclusion and Sustainable Business Performance in the Tourism Sector

Abstract

The current study examines how Financial Technology (FinTech) and Digital Marketing (DM) affect Financial Inclusion (FI) and Sustainable Business Performance (SBP) in the tourism industry. Accordingly, a structured questionnaire was distributed among tourism enterprises working in emerging markets adopting a descriptive analytical methodology. Structural Equation Modeling (SmartPLS) was applied to analyze relationships among variables and test seven hypotheses.
Overall, results indicate that both FinTech and Digital Marketing positively impact Financial Inclusion and Sustainable Business Performance. Moreover, financial inclusion also plays the role of the mediator in these relations, thus reinforcing its key role in the creation of inclusive and sustainable digital ecosystems.
The research offers practical suggestions to tourism businesses and policymakers regarding ways of enhancing sustainability and inclusiveness.