Destination Competitiveness Research Articles

STRATEGY FOR INCREASING FOREIGN EXCHANGE INCOME IN THE TOURISM SECTOR IN CENTRAL ACEH USING THE COMPETITIVE DESTINATION OF HALAL TOURISM MODEL DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The impact of the Corona Virus (Covid-19) outbreak on the tourism industry, especially Indonesia, is certainly very influential. A number of cancellations of foreign and domestic tourist arrivals have occurred since the virus outbreak was announced. The plane seats are empty, as well as hotels, cruise operators, and other business potentials. Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno assessed that the limited mobility of the community due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the closure of recreational and entertainment places had a considerable economic impact on the tourism sector. This study aims to formulate a strategy to improve the tourism sector in Indonesia which is declining amid the covid-19 pandemic with the incentive sales method in collaboration with airlines or foreign agents who bring foreign tourists to Indonesia with a specific purpose. will be given a subsidy depending on the number and duration of tourists visiting Indonesia. Through a strategy mechanism to reduce connectivity costs and a competitive destination model (CDM) to anticipate a decline in tourism performance. This scientific research also aims to provide recommendations for sustainable strategies for the Indonesian tourism sector, especially in the province of Aceh in running the tourism sector amid the Covid-19 pandemic. This type of research is a qualitative research using a mix method by conducting interviews with the target population, namely 100 business actors who play a role in driving the economy in the tourism object business in Aceh province and formulating a model for increasing the productivity of the tourism sector by introducing direct promotion methods and collaborating with the government in the process. development and improvement of the tourism sector. In this study, a focus group discussion will be held by inviting local officials from the Aceh provincial tourism office and academics to provide input in completing the model for developing a strategy for increasing tourism productivity by focusing on the incentive sales method. The output of this research is the publication of reputable international journals

LOCAL COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE ON RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AND DESTINATION SUSTAINABILITY

The tourism industry has relied on long-term planning and is anticipating growing availability and demand for socially, ecologically, and economically responsible tourism. As a novel idea, responsible tourism practices may boost efforts for sustainable tourism development, improving the image and competitiveness of tourism destinations. The purpose of this research is to look at the link between responsible tourism and destination sustainability in Cameron Highlands communities. This study employed descriptive research and a cross-sectional design. In order to complete the study, questionnaires were handed to local communities in three (3) Cameron Highlands sub-districts: Ulu Telum, Tanah Rata, and Ringlet. According to correlation and regression tests, the study found a significant relationship between responsible tourism and destination sustainability. As a result, destination sustainability necessitates a greater emphasis on the development of environmental consciousness, sustainable livelihood, and community well-being. Because local communities are a component of the tourism experience, the study findings can help tourism stakeholders execute tourism development plans based on local community views and quality of life.

Formation Mechanisms of Rural Summer Health Destination Loyalty: Exploration and Comparison of Low- and High-Aged Elderly Leisure Vacation Tourists.

Destination loyalty is a key indicator of the competitiveness of tourist destinations. Rural summer health leisure vacations for urban elderly (RSHLVUE) tourists span a wide range of ages. Destination operators need to understand the loyalty formation mechanisms of different aged tourists. RSHLVUE tourists were divided into a low-aged group (LA) and a high-aged group (HA) to examine and modify the hypothesis of the relationship between perceived value, tourist well-being, place attachment, and destination loyalty based on affect, behavior, and cognition (ABC) theory. The test results of the measurement model indicate that the HA showed stronger responses in terms of cost value, sense of meaning, and place dependency. The formation mechanism of destination loyalty for the LA is tourist well-being → perceived value → place attachment → destination loyalty, and for the HA is perceived value → tourist well-being → place attachment → destination loyalty. The findings deepen the understanding of destination loyalty among elderly leisure vacation tourists and can guide RSHLVUE destination managers to enhance destination competitiveness.

Explanatory power of the tourist destination competitiveness index on the control of the first wave of COVID-19

PurposeThis article intends to analyse the explanatory power of the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) and some of its constituent factors on national success metrics in managing the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe authors study the outbreak control effectiveness of 132 countries during the first semester of 2020. The authors apply generalized linear regression models and weighted least squares models using 6 COVID-19-related dependent variables, 9 TTCI-related independent variables and 12 control variables.FindingsThe results suggest that countries with superior TTCI values and selected constituent factors have the highest daily averages of coronavirus infections and fatalities per million and the highest speed rates of COVID-19 spread. The authors also find that these countries have the shortest government response time, the lowest daily average of the social restrictions index and the shortest time from the first case reported in China to the first case reported nationally.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' awareness, no previous study exists analysing the statistical relationship between the TTCIB and some of its constituent factors with the selected metrics of national success at managing the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. This fact represents the primary evidence of this article's unique contribution.

COMPETITIVENESS OF TOURISM DESTINATIONS: A MIXED-METHOD BIBLIOMETRIC APPROACH

Even after almost three decades of introduction of competitiveness into tourism sector, there is still a rising trend in literature on Tourism Destination Competitiveness (TDC). Though there are a few systematic and traditional reviews in the domain, there has been no study of the bibliometric variables. This study utilises Web of Science (WoS) database to conduct a bibliometric analysis of 166 documents on TDC, revealing the domain's research trend in terms of authors, sources, and publications. The science mapping tool bibliometrix R-package is used to analyse the trend of scientific publications in the area, untapped knowledge, possible future trends, and implications. The analysis is undertaken on three levels: source, author, and document, as well as three types of knowledge structures: conceptual, intellectual, and social. The bibliometric data analysis consists of a descriptive analysis of the bibliographic data frame and network analyses and its graphical visualization. As per the analysis, competitiveness of natural/cultural destinations is rarely assessed in the global scenario. Maximum number of studies in the domain are carried out in European countries. The findings can guide researchers to focus on less developed themes/areas.

Wisata Halal Madura: Strategi Destinasi untuk Daya Saing Pasar Pariwisata pasca Pandemi Covid 19

The purpose of this research is to conceptualize the competitiveness of Madura halal tourism village destinations, formulate strategies to manage halal tourism village destinations effectively to help management make policies and for practitioners to better understand the advantages and problems of halal tourism village destinations and the development of halal tourism in Madura. especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods This research uses a mix method with triangulation (case study design and survey design). For qualitative, data were collected from a number of tourist village destinations through observation, in-depth interviews, and FGD methods.The competitiveness of Madura as a halal tourism village destination is based on 7 sub-variables including: tourist attractions, most of the respondents tend to state that they are in good condition. as well as from the aspect of accessibility, amenities and institutions, that overall, respondents tend to say they are ready. The accommodations available in Madura as a whole have implemented halal principles in their services. need commitment and consistency in working on halal tourism in Madura in order to be competitive with other tours.

Readiness for Village Apparatus in Tourist Destinations Competitiveness of Tanjung Lesung SEZ, Tanjung Jaya Village, Panimbang District, Pandenglang

Special Economic Zones (SEZ) Tourism in Tanjung Lesung is a distinct advantage because it can provide promising business development potential. However, this potential is less than optimal due to the condition of village officials to develop tourist villages in the vicinity, or SEZ supporting areas, namely Tanjung Jaya Village, not running optimally. This research uses a qualitative method by conducting a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with the Tanjung Jaya Village Head, Panimbang District Secretary, the POKDARWIS Chair, and several other village officials who can make the supporting area better. The results obtained based on the FGD are by developing Human Resources (HR) for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and making the people of Tanjung Jaya Village aware of the need for tourism in the SEZ supporting area. The other result was a lack of training for staff or owners of MSMEs. The program that will be provided in the future is HR training on soft skills to POKDARWIS members, Tourism Village Managers, and Banten West Java (BWJ) as a Company Social Responsibility (CSR) program. So that later the POKDARWIS, Tourism Village Managers can provide input or explanations and retrain the people of Tanjung Jaya Village.

Portugal nautical stations: Strategic alliances for sport tourism and environmental sustainability.

Nautical tourism is a tourist product with great development in the European space and a lot of potential to promote and develop tourist destinations. Considering the dynamics of nautical tourism management and the importance of meeting the specificities of this market niche, the objective of this study was to analyse the strategic alliances for the development of the offer of nautical tourism products, namely the strategic goals and sustainable environmental practices adopted by their actors which integrated the strategic alliances in order to certificate a plethora of nautical stations in Portugal. Between September and December 2021, 17 Portuguese nautical stations' application forms were collected. Content analysis using Nvivo software was the technique used for data analysis. The results showed a multiplicity of strategic objectives associated with the strategic alliance established between the nautical stations. The strategic vision of nautical stations for the development of strategic alliances is built, firstly, on the objective of structuring the tourism offer, followed by increasing governance and promoting and marketing nautical tourism using the image of the destination. Based on these results, it is possible to infer the importance of nautical stations in destination competitiveness and the role of strategic alliances in facilitating penetration in the nautical tourism market. The managers of nautical stations should consider the use of strategic alliances to make a cooperative marketing in order to improve the experience of the clients. Regarding environmental sustainability practices, the results exposed the prominence of environmental education actions in contrast to the reduced number of nautical stations developing actions for the adoption of sustainable transport. This study contributes to a better understanding of nautical tourism and Portuguese nautical stations, a project of strategic investment in sport and tourism, inferring on the objectives underlying the formation of strategic alliances and on the adopted environmental sustainability practices. The conclusions of this study point to the need for future scientific research on the actual operationalization of the objectives underlying the formation of strategic alliances, as well as the environmental practices developed by nautical stations.

Determination of Factors Affecting Destination Competitiveness: A Survey in Ayvalık Destination

Bir destinasyonun rekabet gücünü etkileyen çok sayıda bileşenler olabilmektedir. Çalışmada doğal, tarihi ve kültürel çekicilikler bakımından oldukça zengin olduğu düşünülen Ayvalık destinasyonunun rekabetçi özelliklerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda Ayvalık destinasyonunda faaliyet yürüten 11 turizm paydaşının görüşüne başvurulmuştur. Görüşmelerden elde edilen veriler, sıralı ölçek, betimsel ve içerik analizine tabi tutulmuştur. Araştırma sonucunda, Ayvalık destinasyonunun rekabetçilikteki en güçlü yönlerinin deniz, gastronomi ve tarihi mimari olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Paydaşların Ayvalık destinasyonunu gastronomi ve alternatif turizm çeşitliliği açısından rakiplerine kıyasla daha üstün buldukları, buna karşın tanıtım, hizmet kalitesi, paydaşlar arası iş birliği, müşteri kitlesi farklılığı, imaj, eğlence çeşitliliği, yerel yönetim desteği ve şehir planlaması açısından ise zayıf olarak değerlendirdikleri tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca paydaşlar, destinasyonun rekabet gücünü arttıracak uzun vadeli planlar yapılamadığını, paydaşlar arası iş birliğinin yetersiz olduğunu ve destinasyondaki turizm potansiyelinin yeterince değerlendirilemediğini düşünmektedir. Sezon kısalığı ve belirsizlik ise işletmeleri zorlayan en önemli yapısal sorunlar olarak değerlendirilmektedir.

Formative-reflective scheme for the assessment of tourism destination competitiveness: an analysis of Italian municipalities

In this article, we propose a formative-reflective scheme for the assessment of Tourism Destination Competitiveness (TDC) based on a combined use of Partial Least Squares-Path Modelling (PLS-PM) and the method recently proposed by Fattore, Pelagatti, and Vittadini (FPV). TDC is conceived as a construct reflecting the tourism performance of a destination, and several determinants are considered, including endowed resources, created resources, and supporting factors. The proposed scheme is applied to a case study on 1575 Italian municipalities for which the Italian National Institute of Statistics released data on tourist flows. Our contribution is innovative for three aspects: (i) the consistency of the formative-reflective scheme for TDC assessment is discussed on a theoretical basis; (ii) an empirical comparison between PLS-PM and the FPV method is performed; (iii) data with higher granularity than most studies on TDC assessment are employed. Our findings highlight that endowed resources are the primary driver of TDC, followed by created resources and supporting factors, and emphasize that the best ranked destinations are big cities with a multifaceted tourism alongside sea and mountain destinations with cultural attractions.

Position of Medical Tourism in Service Integration and Destination Competitiveness: Evaluating the Barriers and Compiling the Strategies (A Case Study of Health Macro-region NO.10- Tehran)

Position of Medical Tourism in Service Integration and Destination Competitiveness: Evaluating the Barriers and Compiling the Strategies (A Case Study of Health Macro-region NO.10- Tehran)

관광지 소기업의 사회적 자본이 경영성과에 미치는 직접효과와 경영자의 자기효능감이 가지는 매개효과 분석 : 강원도 정선지역 상권을 중심으로

Development of tourism destinations is a critical driver of regional and national economic growth. The performance of micro-firms in tourism destinations is deeply associated with service quality perceived by tourists, strongly influencing the competitiveness of tourism destination and promoting tourist loyalty to the destination. To understand the performance of micro-firms, exiting literature in tourism and hospitality has adopted various business and management perspectives, such as personal characteristics of managers, organizational resources and capabilities, and business environment. Despite the theoretical diversity, the previous studies have relied heavily on theories in business and management studies. To overcome the limitation, this study adopts sociological perspective to predict the performance of micro-firms in tourism destination. This study proposes a structural equation model in which micro-firms’ social capital has a positive effect on performance and the managers’ self-efficacy mediates the relationship between social capital and performance. For an empirical analysis, this study performed a survey of 205 micro-firms in Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do Province in South Korea and carried out hypothesis tests. The analysis results found that the social capital has a positive and significant impact on the performance. Furthermore, this research shows that the self-efficacy of managers has a full mediation effect on the relationship, suggesting that the managers’ self-efficacy is the critical path that connects micro-firms’ social capital and performance.

Air transportation and tourism interactions and actions for competitive destinations: the case of Cyprus

PurposeAir connectivity is one of the most important aspects of tourism development, especially for island state destinations (ISD) which rely on air travel for accessibility. The complexity of the tourism industry necessitates close interaction among involved stakeholders to ensure successful policy implementation of air transportation operations that facilitate tourism mobility at a destination.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper self-administered questionnaires in a structured format were distributed to 200 managers. Additionally, seven unstructured follow-up interviews were conducted to enrich the content and better support the conclusions.FindingsThe results of the study suggest that air transportation and connectivity are not fully integrated with tourism policy and strategy planning. Yet it is crucial that a stakeholder approach is adopted that accounts for the needs of diverse stakeholders and airline strategies, along with a diversified tourism policy that can establish Cyprus as year-round destination.Originality/valueThe role of the airline industry in overall tourism strategy and policy is examined and the unique problems and challenges ISDs like Cyprus face in developing as a tourism destination and overcoming tourism seasonality are underlined.

Health and Hygiene as a Factor of Destination Competitiveness: A Comparative Study Using Synchronic and Diachronic Data

ABSTRACT Health and hygiene is a provision of conditions to maintain public health, and make tourists feel safer and tourism destinations become more competitive. The existing research has been conceptual or critical, and scarce empirical studies focus mainly on single-case studies. Therefore, this study came to fill a knowledge gap and analyse the importance and relationship between health and hygiene and destination competitiveness through a case study of the world’s most visited tourism destinations. The study employed three techniques to analyse the synchronic and diachronic data of the destinations, i.e. comparative analysis, graphical analysis, and One-way ANOVA. The results show that health and hygiene are the most important of the 14 pillars measuring destination competitiveness. The graphical analysis indicates a positive correlation between the health and hygiene pillar and overall competitiveness. This study should be an impetus for applied scientific research for public health policy and tourism competitiveness.

A review of the determinants of tourism destination competitiveness

A review of the determinants of tourism destination competitiveness

A bibliometric analysis of total quality method literature in tourism for the last 19 years

The main objectives of Total Quality Management (TQM), which first emerged in 1950 in Japan with the contributions of Japanese pioneers of quality philosophy such as Deming and Juran, are expressed as continuous quality improvement, training and customer satisfaction in a business. The essence of the philosophy of Total Quality Management (TQM) is to ensure final customer satisfaction at every stage and fulfill customer needs accordingly. As a system that guarantees the targeted quality in an enterprise, Total Quality Management (TQM) continues to develop in the production sector as well as the service sector. The tourism industry, which is a labor-intensive industry, is being evaluated among sectors that are most affected by intense competition between businesses and countries. Therefore, Total Quality Management (TQM) is an extremely important factor in terms of the competitiveness of destinations and tourism businesses in the global market. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to reveal the change and development process within the last 19 years of studies dealing with the concepts of "Total Quality Management and Tourism" together in detail in international literature. Therefore, a bibliometric profile of the strong relationship between Total Quality Management and Tourism was established with the CiteSpace analysis method by using the variables deployed in previous studies, the methods used in the analyzes, and the obtained findings.

Heritage Education as a Basis for Sustainable Development. The Case of Trujillo, Monfragüe National Park and Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark (Extremadura, Spain)

Tourist activity offers numerous possibilities for socioeconomic growth while promoting the dissemination, recognition, and appreciation of heritage. Nevertheless, tourism based on a mercantilist approach, oriented mainly towards the maximization of economic benefits and the massive attraction of visitors, can pose a threat to the conservation and integrity of heritage assets. In this panorama of vulnerability, heritage education stands as a primary strategy to resolve the tensions between heritage and tourism. Based on this premise, research aimed at stimulating tourism activity committed to education and sustainability is presented. Said study is framed in three counties of the region of Extremadura, selected for being great centers of tourist attraction: the Monfragüe National Park, the Villuercas-Ibores-Jara Geopark, and the monumental city of Trujillo. The results reveal that introducing educational principles is decisive in improving the value and competitiveness of tourist destinations and contributing to regional development. Despite this, the approaches of heritage education are not yet sufficiently integrated into tourism plans, which distances the territories from sustainability.

Tourism Destination Competitiveness: Analysis and Strategy of the Miyagi Zaō Mountains Area, Japan

This paper uses the tourism destination competitiveness framework to support the formulation of a tourism development strategy for the Miyagi Zaō mountains area in Japan. The study area experienced major disruptions associated with the 2011 earthquake, the Fukushima nuclear accident, and the 2015 and 2018 volcanic eruption warnings. The disasters had a significant impact on tourism, which plays a key role in the sustainability of Zaō town and the surrounding region. Zaō town is faced with an aging population and a shrinking economy. A survey of visitors (demand side) and local company representatives (supply side) was conducted to determine perceived strengths and weaknesses of the regional tourism destination. Nature-based activities were awarded the highest scores by both sides. Based on the findings from the destination competitiveness analysis, a nature-centric tourism development strategy is proposed to achieve destination competitiveness and sustainability of the local society and the natural environment.

Tourism competitiveness measurement. A perspective from Central America and Caribbean destinations

Purpose This study aims to present diverse proposals for the measurement of tourism destination competitiveness that serve as alternatives to the travel and tourism competitiveness index (TTCI). Design/methodology/approach The proposal includes principal component analysis, the DP2-distance method, goal programming, data envelopment analysis and the Borda count. The study evaluates 17 destinations from Central America and the Caribbean. Findings These include the feasibility that the methodologies provide reliable competitiveness rankings and the possibility of using less information due to the strength of the statistical methodologies. International tourist arrivals, income from international tourism and travel and tourism contribution to the gross domestic product could be used as approximations of tourism destination competitiveness. Research limitations/implications The main limitation is the absence of major destinations from the region that constitutes fierce competitors. Practical implications New aggregation methods can build composite indicators for competitiveness measurement and their presentation in a more comprehensible way. Social implications The results serve as an alternative for countries that have yet to be considered in international tourism competitiveness comparisons. Originality/value A better explanatory power of the proposed index is given, thanks to their decomposition capacity and the reduction of the limitations of the original TTCI. Moreover, the proposals facilitate the inclusion of external information or the execution of a completely objective methodology.

How can destination competitiveness play an essential role in small island sports tourism development? Integrated ISM-MICMAC modelling of key factors

PurposeThis paper aims to identify factors that affect the sports tourism destination's competitiveness on a small island. Hence, this study looks at and evaluates these factors. The study then comes up with a model that clarifies the interrelationships between these factors.Design/methodology/approachThe authors broke down the data analysis process into three steps. The first step was to conduct a literature review and use industry and academia experts' help to determine the essential aspects (fuzzy Delphi method). Then, a hierarchical model was developed, and the factors were categorised using the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach. Factors' driving and dependency power were also determined using MICMAC analysis.FindingsThis work has identified 13 key factors related to the sports tourism destination's competitiveness on a small island. For a small island like Kish Island, the two independent variables (government support and destination political stability) that define the institutional framework for the destination are most important. Building corresponding competitive and support strategies to address these two independent variables is thus beneficial.Research limitations/implicationsThe research's results provide decision-makers, practitioners, and researchers with new insights into the hierarchical model of determinants. The study will fill the existing gap between theory and practice.Practical implicationsSports tourism destination managers on small islands may benefit from the proposed model since the model will enable them to organise the managers' priorities better to enhance the managers' destinations' competitiveness and provide tourists with a more accurate depiction of the destination.Originality/valueAccording to the authors' knowledge, the research design presented in this article has provided the first attempt to hierarchical analyse these factors and develop a model for sports tourism destination competitiveness on small islands and destinations with less-developed economies. This study fills the gap in the destination competitiveness and sports tourism literature by not only identifying the key influencing factors but also examining the interactions between these factors and providing empirical evidence supporting their relationships.