Tourism Destination Competitiveness Research Articles

Digital Value-Based Pricing Strategy in Tourism Marketing: A Systematic Literature Review Approach

This research is motivated by the importance of digital value-based pricing strategies in optimizing the competitiveness of tourism destinations in the digital era. This background highlights the need for an approach that integrates technology and a deep understanding of consumer behavior to create perceived value for tourists. The study aims to identify effective, relevant, and competitive pricing strategies in digital value-based tourism marketing. The method used is the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) with the PRISMA framework, combined with bibliometric analysis to ensure the validity and relevance of the research data. The results of the study indicate that digital value-based pricing strategies, which utilize data analytics and personalization, can increase tourists' perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty while driving the economic sustainability of tourist destinations. The conclusion of this study confirms that digital value-based strategies are not only relevant but also able to create satisfying tourism experiences, support marketing innovation, and have the potential to become a long-term trend in the tourism industry.

Analysis of IoT Technology Utilization and Inventory Management System on Operational Efficiency and Visitor Experience at Tourism Destinations in Bandung

This study examines the impact of IoT technology utilization and inventory management systems on operational efficiency and visitor experience at tourism destinations in Bandung City. Employing a quantitative research approach, data were collected from 220 respondents using a structured questionnaire with a Likert scale (1–5). The relationships among variables were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS). The findings reveal that both IoT technology and inventory management systems significantly enhance operational efficiency, which in turn positively impacts visitor experience. IoT technology showed a stronger direct effect on visitor experience, while inventory management systems had a greater influence on operational efficiency. Operational efficiency also played a mediating role, linking technological and management practices to improved visitor satisfaction. These results highlight the importance of integrating advanced technologies and efficient management systems to enhance the competitiveness and service quality of tourism destinations. The study provides actionable insights for tourism stakeholders to prioritize technology investments and strategic planning for sustainable growth.

Research on Assessing Comprehensive Competitiveness of Tourist Destinations Within Cities, Based on Field Theory and Competitiveness Theory

The question of how to assess the comprehensive competitiveness of tourist destinations within cities is an important aspect for determining the potential of a city’s tourism development and its ranking among peers in the field. There are four main parts to the content of this article, which consist of the analysis of competition formation motives based on “Field Theory”, the selection of influencing factors by drawing on Porter’s theory of competitiveness, the construction of an assessment model based on the multi-factors weighted comprehensive evaluation method, and an empirical analysis using Nanjing as the research area. The conclusions are as follows: Firstly, the tourist destination field within a city is composed of three interrelated elements, which are actors, rules, and competition. Under the influence of mainstream social and cultural trends, each tourist destination occupies a certain “position” by relying on the attractiveness formed by various types of capital, and then participates in peer competition within the field. Secondly, the three major influencing aspects of the competitiveness of tourist destinations are element conditions, demand characteristics, and supporting conditions. The key points involved in the three aspects can be summarized into four categories of factors, namely, quality evaluation, popularity level, spatial attractiveness, and emotional cognition, which together constitute the indicator system. Thirdly, there are thirteen tourist destinations in Nanjing that are rated above the average, accounting for about 43% of all the popular destinations. The variation coefficient of competitiveness results is about 35%, indicating a moderate to relatively weak degree of dispersion. Finally, the competitiveness of the thirty hot tourist destinations generally presents a spatial order that gradually weakens in an outward direction from the center zone of the city, forming an overall pattern of cluster groups of well-known tourist destinations in the core of the city, relatively random small clusters in the new main city area, and scattered point distribution in the suburbs.

UNDERSTANDING GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN DESTINATION CHOICE PRIORITIES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF GEN X, Y, AND Z

Destination choice is considered a key component in assessing the competitiveness of tourism destinations. While numerous studies have been conducted on the various factors influencing destination preferences, it has been observed that the impact of generational differences on destination choice requires deeper investigation. This study aims to determine whether there are any differences in the factors influencing destination choice among the X, Y, and Z generations. To this end, a survey was conducted among participants who had traveled for holiday purposes within the past year and were over 18 years old. The analysis of the data revealed significant differences between the generations in terms of factors such as infrastructure facilities, access to information, and the tourist attractions of the destination. Furthermore, differences were found between the participants' education levels and their destination selection behaviors. The findings of this research provide opportunities for destination marketing organizations to develop effective marketing strategies and contribute to a deeper understanding of the purchasing behavior intentions of different generations.

The effectiveness of conative country image in creating tourists’ memorable experiences through the effect of tourist destination competitiveness and intention to return

It is understood that the tourism sector is a significant and expanding sector that has become the main source of revenue, livelihoods, and prosperity. One of the most important elements in establishing a competitive edge is a conative country image, which also affects visitors' perceptions, attitudes, assessments, and future actions. Thus, this study aims to examine how a conative country image affects tourists' memorable experiences and how this affects their behavior in the future. It also seeks to investigate the practical contributions in producing memorable experiences for visitors by examining the effects of tourists’ destinations' competitiveness and their influence on future behavior. A theoretical concept forms the foundation of the study's approach. Based on the quantitative findings and literature review, a questionnaire is developed, tested, and distributed to international visitors who visit Saudi Arabia. The study's results confirmed the assumption that a conative country image affects tourists' memorable experiences and enhances the competitiveness of tourists’ destinations, affecting travelers' future behavior, including their willingness to return. This study provides a new perspective on how conative country image influences the development of memorable experiences and how that contributes to future behavior.

Tourism destination competitiveness from definitions to empirical evidence: A narrative review

Competitiveness is a key concept studied across various disciplines and has become increasingly important in today's dynamic environment. Indeed, the term "competitiveness" first emerged in economics in the late 1970s, and its relevance to tourism began in the early 1990s. Since then, tourism destination competitiveness has become a vital research topic. Currently, the tourism industry faces significant challenges in enhancing destination competitiveness in the post-pandemic realm. Therefore, improving destination competitiveness, with its assurance of prosperity for people, is a major focus of tourism policy discussions.This paper aims to improve the understanding of tourism destination competitiveness (TDC) by reviewing published literature and identifying gaps, debates, and areas of further research. The study adopted a qualitative research design and a narrative review approach by incorporating elements of systematic review methodology. This study extends the review to measuring TDC and the link between TDC, tourism performance, and quality of life. The key findings of this review reveal that there needs to be more consensus about TDC measurement approaches, and no universal list of TDC determinants applies to all destinations. Besides, most studies focus on developed countries, and the link between tourism performance and quality of life is scarce, especially in low-income and middle-income (developing) countries. Indeed, this review uncovers gaps, and addressing these gaps in future research will contribute new knowledge to the evolving phase of TDC theory. Therefore, the findings are of particular value to tourism researchers and policymakers, where achieving TDC with its promise of prosperity for residents is a concern.

Does Community Support in Moderating Roles Mitigate Short Comings in Rural Tourism Development?

Background: Rural tourism offers unique experiences and the potential to revitalize local economies. Objectives: This study explores the connection between tourism destination competitiveness, hard services (e.g., infrastructure), soft services (e.g., hospitality), and the moderating role of community support within the Sundarbans National Park, rural destination in West Bengal, India. Methodology: A quantitative approach was used to measure and analyse numerical data, identifying relationships and drawing conclusions. This study employed this approach to examine how community support influences rural tourism development. The primary data for this study was gathered through a survey conducted among domestic tourists who had visited the Sundarbans. This survey offered direct insights into the experiences and opinions of these tourists. SEM is used as it handles complex relationships between variables, i.e., community support and rural tourism development. Path analysis was conducted using PLS-4 to examine how various forms of community support, such as hospitality, cooperations, etc. influence the development of tourism in Sundarbans. Results: Results underscores the importance of hard and soft services combined key drivers of rural tourism destination competitiveness setting. Moreover, strong community support significantly amplifies the positive effect of these services on the competitiveness of the destination. Conclusion: The study offers valuable insights for rural tourism development, emphasizing the significance of community connection in enhancing destination attractiveness and competitiveness.

The Key Success Factor for Sustainable Rural Tourism Development in Madura Using Integration of the IPA-Kano Model

The momentum for the rise of global tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic has become an opportunity for developing local tourism and Indonesia's creative economy. One of the promising tourism regions in Indonesia is Madura. The tourism potentials on the island of Madura are historical, religious, natural, and cultural. Unfortunately, Madura's tourism potential has not been fully utilized, and as a result, the benefits have not emerged to strengthen the Madurese community's economy. In addition, tourism development directions are also partial without looking at environmental sustainability, community welfare, and other social aspects. Therefore, this research was conducted to determine the key success factors of sustainable tourism by integrating the Important-Performance Analysis method with the Kano model. This study was conducted in Sampang, Madura, specifically in a tourist village called Bira Tengah. The result of the study is that the tourist village should adopt key success factors such as leading to maintaining the destination environment, improving the contribution of tourists and local communities in area conservation, increasing the competitiveness of tourist destinations, conducting more intensive tourism promotions, creating fun tourism activities, increasing participation of the community and stakeholders of tourist villages, using local and environmentally friendly materials, improving the cleanliness of destinations, disseminating local cultural information and increasing employment opportunities. The cultural factors are a highlight in improving sustainable tourism performance. In addition, to enhance tourism performance, it needs to benchmark with developed and autonomous tourist villages that have demonstrated success in sustainable tourism.

Personalized Recommendation Intelligent Fuzzy Clustering Model for theTourism

Personalized recommendations in tourism have transformed the way travellers explore new destinations, offering tailored experiences that align with individual preferences and interests. As the travel industry increasingly harnesses data analytics and artificial intelligence, tourists can now receive customized suggestions that reflect their unique tastes, whether they seek adventure, relaxation, cultural immersion, or culinary exploration. This paper explores the implementation and effectiveness of intelligent tourism management strategies using fuzzy clustering and personalized recommendations. By analyzing various scenarios, including baseline, personalized recommendations, dynamic pricing, crisis management, and enhanced resource allocation, the study demonstrates how advanced data-driven techniques can significantly improve key performance indicators such as visitor satisfaction, total revenue, repeat visitation rates, and operational efficiency. The simulation results reveal that personalized recommendations and optimized resource allocation are particularly effective in enhancing visitor experiences and economic outcomes. Conversely, the analysis underscores the critical need for robust crisis management strategies to maintain performance during adverse events. This research provides valuable insights into the transformative potential of intelligent systems in modern tourism management, offering a pathway towards more resilient and competitive tourism destinations. For instance,personalized recommendations increased average visitor satisfaction from 7.2 to 8.5, total revenue from $500,000 to $600,000, and the repeat visitation rate from 35% to 45%. The dynamic pricing strategy improved visitor satisfaction to 7.8 and revenue to $550,000, while enhanced resource allocation resulted in a satisfaction rate of 7.9 and revenue of $570,000. Conversely, crisis management showed the importance of preparedness, as satisfaction dropped to 6.5 and revenue to $450,000. These results underscore the critical need for robust management strategies.

How Gastronomic Image Shapes Tourism Competitiveness: An Approach with Sentiment Analysis

The competitiveness of tourist destinations is influenced by their relative attractiveness, which will play an essential role in their global success; gastronomy is one of the main motivations that lead tourists to visit a given destination. This research aims to investigate gastronomy’s role in the destination’s competitiveness and image through the analysis of online reputation, both in terms of ratings and sentiments provided by the experience, through the creation of an index of the online reputation of gastronomic image. Online restaurant reviews retrieved from TripAdvisor, from restaurants belonging to eight tourism destination regions, considered the competitive set to the Algarve, are analysed by applying sentiment analysis algorithms. With regard to the Algarve region, it was concluded that the Costa del Sol and the Tropical coast were the most competitive regions in terms of gastronomic image, where the inclusion of seafood products in meals was one of the strategic aspects used to increase the competitiveness of this region. These results can help restaurant managers and destination management organisations to better understand the different customer needs and how to increase their competitiveness.

Is my city a competitive tourism destination? An assessment from residents’ perspective

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effects of natural, cultural and urban resources on the city's tourism competitiveness from the residents' perspective and identifies the factors that city managers should prioritize.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used multiple methods. The partial least squares structural equation modeling tested our theoretical assumption and the importance–performance map analysis provided an extra interpretation of the results to make them tangible to city managers. Data collection was done with residents of Viseu, Portugal.FindingsThe findings indicated that tourism competitiveness from the residents' perspective depends on the leisure activities they can enjoy as much as tourists, as the limits between tourism activities and everyday life are tenuous. The quality of leisure is part of residents' well-being; however, the results suggested that tourism development fails to engage residents in the destination's leisure offer. The cultural heritage is not attractive to them because it is part of their day-by-day living area or they need to enjoy the cultural offer. To accommodate residents' demands, destination managers need to improve the offer of outdoor activities and urban leisure opportunities.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitations were the sample size and the data collection after a pandemic context, that is, in a period of economic crisis that reduced leisure consumption. The implications point out variables to managers prioritize to improve place management and rethink tourism competitiveness based on a citizen-centered view. It is also a way to understand residents as staycationers.Practical implicationsOur research contributed to urban and city research literature with meaningful findings that can help city managers improve the positive impacts of tourism on residents and enhance the integration of tourism and urban daily life.Social implicationsThe authors suggested strategies for integrating residents into cultural activities.Originality/valueTheoretically, this study is set up in the frontier of rethinking and promoting society-centric tourism development. The research contributed to urban and city research literature with meaningful findings that can help city managers improve the positive impacts of tourism on residents and enhance the integration of tourism and urban daily life. In this direction, the authors suggest strategies for integrating residents into cultural activities.

Competitiveness in Sustainable Gastronomic Tourism: Integration of Environmental Practices in Latin American Destinations

This study explores how the integration of environmental practices in gastronomic tourism can increase the competitiveness of tourist destinations in Latin America. Through the analysis of cases in Mexico, Peru and Colombia, sustainable strategies are identified, such as the use of local products and the reduction of waste, which not only contribute to sustainable tourism development, but also improve the image and attractiveness of destinations. The results show that destinations that implement sustainable environmental practices are perceived as more attractive and competitive in a tourism market that is increasingly aware of ecological impacts.

Nexus of Regenerative Tourism Destination Competitiveness, Climate Advocacy and Visit Intention: Mediating Role of Travel FOMO and Destination Loyalty

The Game Theory is aiding global tourism research to leverage destination appeal and competitiveness in the context of climate change advocacy. As global tourism continues to play a vital role in economic development and cultural exchange, there is a growing need to unravel the complexities of tourist behavior and destination competitiveness. Therefore, this study aims to utilize the Game Theory to investigate the relationships between Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), Regenerative Tourism Destination Competitiveness (RTDC), Tourist Visit Intention (TVI), and Destination Loyalty (DL) within the UAE, with the moderating role of Climate Advocacy. An online survey (using Google Forms) was distributed via social media platforms (primarily Facebook groups), resulting in data collection from 296 respondents. Smart PLS 4 and SPSS were utilized for data analysis. The findings revealed that RTDC had significant positive relationships with FOMO, DL, and TVI, thus supporting hypotheses 1 to 10. However, the hypothesis regarding Climate Advocacy moderating DL and TVI was not supported. Based on the Game Theory, this study contributes to the theoretical understanding of regenerative tourism destination competitiveness and offers practical implications for destination management strategies. Limitations include reliance on self-reported data and context-specific considerations. Future studies should also consider cultural contexts, to enhance the external validity of research outcomes.

Sustainability in tourism and hospitality: Artificial intelligence role in eco-friendly practices in Indian hotels

This study explores the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the growth and competitiveness of regional tourism and hospitality destinations. AI's application has both positive and negative effects on sustainable tourism. On the positive side, AI enhances accessibility to tourist sites, provides detailed information about attractions, simplifies understanding of costs and amenities, boosts local economies, and increases federal income. A notable downside is the replacement of human workers by machine learning technologies, which may necessitate remedial measures such as training. This review examines AI's foundational IT principles, current applications, and systems in the industry, focusing on the hotel sector. It concludes with an overview of AI’s challenges in this field, proposes a research agenda, and suggests future directions for AI development in tourism and hospitality.

Determinants of tourism destination competitiveness in Savannakhet province, Lao PDR: A proposed model

Determinants of tourism destination competitiveness in Savannakhet province, Lao PDR: A proposed model

Exploring tourism competitiveness in developing economies: residents’ perspective

Understanding the factors that contribute to tourism competitiveness in developing economies is essential for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and researchers, as these countries still struggle to fully capitalize on their tourism potential. The residents’ perspective, often overlooked in Tourism Destination Competitiveness (TDC) models, is crucial because they are the primary stakeholders who directly experience the consequences of tourism activities in their daily lives. Their positive attitudes can contribute to a welcoming and friendly environment, enhancing the competitiveness of the destination in the global tourism market. Up to now, there have been a few studies that relate residents’ attitudes to tourism destination competitiveness. However, none have focused on developing a tailor-made model for measuring residents’ perspectives on TDC. To develop such a specific model and contribute to the existing theory in this area, our research applied a multi-step approach, including a literature review of existing models, pilot testing for indicator selection, and model validation through CFA. The data were collected through a survey of residents in Serbia, chosen as an example of a developing country. The final model of the study consists of five factors: Natural and Cultural Resources, Quality of Tourist Offer and Infrastructure, Situational Framework of Tourism Development and Management, Destination Perception and Experience, and Pollution, containing 32 indicators. Practical applicability of the model and theoretical contributions are discussed in the paper, as well as the TDC evaluation for Serbia.

The role of motivation in the subjective well-being of older adult sojourners: An investigation using a hybrid technique of PLS-SEM and fsQCA

The subjective well-being (SWB) of older adult sojourners is a complex psychological phenomenon. This study employs a combined approach of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to investigate the linear and nonlinear effects of motivation on the SWB of older adult sojourners. The results indicate that relaxation and decompression, wellness retreats, escape, and self-actualization motivations have a significant positive impact on the SWB of older adult sojourners. However, simple antecedent variables do not individually constitute the necessary conditions for high-level SWB; each variable requires a conditional combination with other factors to generate high-level SWB. Furthermore, this study reveals that nine different combinations of fsQCA consistently lead to high levels of SWB in older adult sojourners. These nine combinations can be categorized into five specific causal pathways, with the escape motivation serving as a core condition in each pathway. This study extends the research on senior residential tourism and offers practical insights for enhancing the competitiveness of senior residential tourism destinations.

Key determinants to enhance the competitiveness of tourist destinations

Improving the competitiveness of tourism destinations is crucial for driving local economies and achieving income growth. In light of this evidence, numerous government departments strive to assess specific factors that impact the competitiveness of tourism destinations, enabling them to issue appropriate new tourism policies that promote more effective forms of tourism business. Therefore, the primary objective of this paper is to investigate how various elements such as tourism resources, tourism support, tourism management, location conditions, and tourism demand influence regional competitiveness in the Northern Bay region of Guangxi Province in China. To accomplish this goal, an online survey was conducted to collect data from 420 visitors who had experienced North Gulf Tourism; yielding an impressive response rate of 95 percent. The findings reveal that all aforementioned factors—namely: Tourism resources, tourism support, tourism management, location conditions and tourist demand—significantly impact destination competitiveness. Notably though, it was found that among these factors influencing destination competitiveness; it is primarily determined by effective local-level management (β = 0.345). Following closely behind are tourist demand (β = 0.133) as the second most influential factor affecting destination competitiveness; followed by location conditions (β = 0.116) ranking third; then comes tourist support (β = 0.03) as fourth in line impacting destination competitiveness; finally with least impact being exerted by available tourist resources (β = 0.016). Consequently, highlighting that regional competitiveness within Guangxi’s Northern Bay area predominantly hinges on efficient local-level management practices thus strongly recommending relevant authorities formulate novel work policies aimed at enhancing levels of local-level competitive advantage within the realm of regional touristic offerings.

Examining the complex causal relationships between the digital economy and urban tourist destination competitiveness

Examining the complex causal relationships between the digital economy and urban tourist destination competitiveness

Tourism Value Chain Determinants Toward Destination Competitiveness and How Increases Tax Base; Mobile Application Usage as a Mediating Variable: A Case of Tanzania

The research paper investigates the influence of tourism value chain determinants on destination competitiveness and tax base, focusing on the mediating role of mobile application usage. It emphasizes the importance of technology, particularly mobile apps, in enhancing the tourism sector's competitiveness and increasing tax revenue. Key factors include perceived advantages, technological self-efficacy, market capabilities, and ICT usage in Tanzania. Despite the lack of an official regional mobile application and low web-based marketing ratings, the study highlights the mediation effect of mobile apps on the relationship between the tourism value chain and destination competitiveness. The proposed model examines mobile app usage's impact on pre-travel, during-travel, and post-travel experiences. Data collected via questionnaires from May to July 2022, with 89 responses, support the theoretical model, showing that mobile app usage enhances destination competitiveness. The study concludes that to compete with other African destinations, Tanzania needs to adopt official mobile applications.