Abstract
This research aims to investigate the impact of international tourist arrivals, institutional quality, carbon dioxide emission and economic growth, on ecological footprints for India, spanning the period from 2001to 2025. After checking the data for unit roots and ensuring data stability, the ARDL model with error correction and bounds test was estimated. The model is able to explain 85.5 per cent of the total changes in the test variables, bounds test results indicate long-term equilibrium relations among the variables. The error correction term satisfies stability, with a negative and significant coefficient score, indicating a rate of return to equilibrium of 13.5 per cent. Stability and diagnostic tests, as well as recursive estimates, indicate significant results. Impulse response function results indicate a strong association for asymmetry. Institutional quality index has the potential to regulate the economic and environmental outcomes of tourism. This study posits that effective governance, encompassing all governance variables, plays a crucial role in ensuring sustainable tourism.