The perception of destination competitiveness by tourists

Abstract

Based on a review of the academic literature this study identifies some of the most frequently mentioned factors and indicators in the field of a tourist destination competitiveness to design a survey subsequently conducted among tourists in Cancun, México. An exploratory factor analysis was performed with the collected data; the result was the reduction from twelve competitiveness factors most commonly mentioned in academic literature to five: Destination marketing and attractions, Destination management and security, Cultural heritage, ICT adoption and Transportation. The study confirms the contributions of several works on the subject while some others common assumptions found in the literature could not be corroborated.