An assessment of tourism competitiveness: A comparative analysis of Georgia and neighboring countries

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15549/jeecar.v11i2.1536

Keywords:

Competitiveness report, tourism destination, tourism competitiveness, indicators, influence matrix, systematic literature review

Abstract

Competitiveness is extensively explored across various disciplines, with tourism competitiveness emerging as a significant focus of research. This aspect is pivotal in current research, embodying a multi-dimensional construct that profoundly impacts the prosperity of destinations. This study has undertaken a systematic literature review to pinpoint indicators influencing destination competitiveness and conducted a statistical analysis to validate these findings. Centered on Georgia and contrasted with its neighboring countries, the analysis spans 12 years, from 2008 to 2020. The study's significance extends beyond its specific focus on Georgia, offering insights with broader relevance to destinations marked by competitive dynamics. The analysis has revealed that within a diverse array of opportunities, the most impactful areas for enhancing Georgia's competitive environment include "Business environment," "Human resources and labor market," and "ICT readiness."

Author Biographies

Lali Okroshidze, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

Lali Okroshidze, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

Daniel F Meyer, College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

Professor Meyer, D.F., College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Ioseb Khelashvili, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia

Dr. Ioseb Khelashvili, Professor, Tourism and Hospitality Management Department, Faculty of Economics and Business, Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Georgia.

References

Balakrishnan, M.S., & Chua, V.C.H. (2019). Exploring the determinants of Singapore's tourism competitiveness using factor analysis. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 12, 41-50.

Bobirca, A. (2007) Assessing the international competitiveness of tourism services trade. Romanian Economic Journal, 10(23): 29-43.

Cann, O. (2016). What is competitiveness? https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/09/what-is-competitiveness/

Chaudhuri, S. Ray, S. (1997) The competitiveness conundrum: literature review and reflections. Economic and Political Weekly, 32(48): M83–M91.

Cho, D.S., Moon, H.C., Kim, M.Y. (2009). Does one size fit all? A dual double diamond approach to country-specific advantages. Asian Business & Management. 8. https://doi.org/10.1057/abm.2008.27 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/abm.2008.27

Costa, R., & Teixeira, R. (2021). Competitive positioning and determinants of tourism performance of small island destinations. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 20, 100541.

Croes, R., & van Niekerk, M. (2017). Measuring the competitiveness of South African tourism. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 6(1), 1-14.

Crouch, G.I., Ritchie, J.R.B. (1999). Tourism, competitiveness, and societal prosperity. Journal of Business Research, 44(3), 137–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(97)00196-3 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(97)00196-3

Döringer, S. (2021). The problem-centred expert interview'. Combining qualitative interviewing approaches for investigating implicit expert knowledge. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 24:3, 265-278, https://DOI.org10.1080/13645579.2020.1766777 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2020.1766777

Dupeyras, A., MacCallum, N. (2013). Indicators for Measuring Competitiveness in Tourism: A Guidance Document. OECD Tourism Papers, 2013/02, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5k47t9q2t923-en DOI: https://doi.org/10.1787/5k47t9q2t923-en

Dwyer, L., Kim, C. (2003). Destination competitiveness: Determinants and Indicators. Current Issues in Tourism, 6(5), 369–413. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500308667962

Faur, M., Ban, O. (2020). The Annals of the University of Oradea. Economic Sciences. Tom XXIX 2020, Issue 1 (July 2020). ISSN 1222-569X.

Freyer, B., Fiala, V., Paxton, R., Dorninger, M., Zangerle, K. (2017). System Development. System Analysis and Scenario Technique. Methods and Practises. Division of Organic Farming 933.310. Vienna.

Gao, J., Shao, C., Chen, S., Wei, Z. (2021). Evaluation of sustainable development of tourism cities based on SDGs and tourism competitiveness index: analysis of 221 prefecture-level cities in China. Sustainability. 13:12338. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212338 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212338

Goffi, G., Cucculelli, M., Masiero L. (2018). Fostering tourism destination competitiveness in developing countries: The role of sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 209 (101-115) https://www.academia.edu/37659156/Fostering_Tourism_Destination_Competitiveness_in_Developing_Countries_The_Role_of_Sustainability?email_work_card=view-paper DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.208

Gooroochurn, N., Sugiyarto, G. (2005). Competitiveness indicators in the travel and tourism industry. Tourism Economics, 11(1), 25-43. https://doi.org/10.5367/0000000053297130 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5367/0000000053297130

Govers, R., Go, F.M. (1999). Achieving Service Quality through the Application of Importance-Performance Analysis. in: P. Kunst, J. Lemmink, and B. Strauss (eds.) Service Quality and Management. (pp. 161-185) Focus Dienstleistungs Marketing Series (M. Kleinaltenkamp, et al. series-eds.) Wiesbaden: Gabler. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-322-90981-7_7

Hassan, S.S. (2000). Determinants of Market Competitiveness in an Environmentally Sustainable Tourism Industry. Journal of Travel Research, 38 (3), 239-245. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/004728750003800305

Haung, Y., Liu, Y., & Wang, D. (2019). Tourism destination competitiveness research: A review and outlook. Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 12, 1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdmm.2019.03.001

Heath, E. (2002). Towards a Model to Enhance Destination Competitiveness: A Southern African Perspective. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 10 (2), 124-141.

International Institute for Management Development (IMD), The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY), https://www.imd.org/centers/wcc/world-competitiveness-center/rankings/world-digital-competitiveness-ranking/. Date of access: 17 July 2023

International Property Rights Index https://www.internationalpropertyrightsindex.org/

Jovanović S., Krstić B., Janković-Milić V. (2013). Identifying the Factors of Tourism Competitiveness Level in the Southeastern European Countries. Series: Economics and Organization. 10(2), 117–127 http://facta.junis.ni.ac.rs/eao/eao201302/eao201302-03.pdf

Keyser, R., & Vanhove, N. (1994). The competitive situation of tourism in the Caribbean area—Methodological approach, Revue de Tourism, 3, 19–22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/eb058160

Khelashvili I., Khartishvili L., Khokhobaia M. (2019). Clustering the Problems of Sustainable Tourism Development in a Destination: Tsaghveri Resort as A Case. Ankara Üniversitesi Çevrebilimleri Dergisi. 7(2), 83-97.

Kim, Y. R., Liu, A., Williams, A. (2022). Competitiveness in the visitor economy: A systematic literature review. Tourism Economics, 28(3), 817–842. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548166211034437 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/13548166211034437

Krugman P.R. (1996). Making Sense of the Competitiveness Debate. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 12(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/oxrep/12.3.17

Li, S., and Du, S. (2021). An empirical study on the coupling coordination relationship between cultural tourism industry competitiveness and tourism flow. Sustainability, 13, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105525 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105525

Mankiw G.N. (2009). Principles of Microeconomics. Fifth Edition. Harvard University.

Mankiw G.N. (2018). Principles of Microeconomics. Eighth Edition. Harvard University.

Meadows, D. (1999). Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System. Hartland: The Sustainability Institute.

Middleton V.T.C., Fyall A., Morgan M., Ranchhod, A. (2009). Marketing in Travel and Tourism. Fourth edition. Elsevier Ltd.

Mihajlovic I. (2013). Competitiveness of Travel Agencies in the European Tourism Market. Chinese Business Review, 12(4), 278-286. DOI: https://doi.org/10.17265/1537-1506/2013.04.005

Niekerk, M., Saayman, M. (2018). The competitiveness of Namibia as a tourism destination. Journal of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 6(1), 1-14.

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2013). Indicators for Measuring Competitiveness in Tourism: A Guidance Document, 2013 https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/industry-and-services/indicators-for-measuring-competitiveness-in-tourism_5k47t9q2t923-en

Our World in Data. (2023). International tourist trips, 2006 to 2021, Trips by people who arrive from abroad and stay overnight. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/international-tourist-trips

Poon A. (1993). Tourism, Technology, and Competitive Strategy. CAB International, Wallingford DOI: https://doi.org/10.1079/9780851989501.0000

Popesku J., Pavlović D. (2012). Tourist Destination Competitiveness: Case Study of Serbia, presented at 4th Asia-Euro Conference 2012 in Tourism, Hospitality & Gastronomy, Subang Jaya, Malaysia.

Porter E. M. (1990). The Competitive Advantage of Nations. Harvard Business Review http://www.economie.ens.fr/IMG/pdf/porter_1990_-_the_competitive_advantage_of_nations.pdf DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-11336-1

Porter E.M. (1998). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. First edition. The Free Press.

Porter E.M. (1979). How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review, From the March 1979 issue. https://hbr.org/1979/03/how-competitive-forces-shape-strategy

Pulido-Fernández, J.I., Rodríguez-Díaz, B., Cárdenas-García, P.J. (2019). Key factors of tourism expenditure in emerging urban-cultural destinations, Anatolia, 31:1, 31-49, DOI: 10.1080/13032917.2019.1691615. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13032917.2019.1691615

Risteski, M., Kocevski, J., Arnaudov, K. (2012). Spatial planning and sustainable tourism as basis for developing competitive tourist destinations. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 44, 375-386. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.05.042 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.05.042

Ritchie J.R.B., Crouch, G.I. (2003). The Competitive Destination: A Sustainable Tourism Perspective. Cromwell Press, Trowbridge, UK. ISBN 0-85199-664-7. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1079/9780851996646.0000

Saayman, M., & Rossouw, R. (2018). The competitiveness of South Africa's tourism industry. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 35(9), 1222-1234.

The Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index (SolAbility), The Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index https://solability.com/the-global-sustainable-competitiveness-index/the-index

The World Bank Group, (2019). Tourism Diagnostic Toolkit https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/240451562621614728/pdf/Tourism-Diagnostic-Toolkit.pdf

United Nations Statistics Division, International Recommendations for Tourism Statistics 2008 (IRTS 2008) https://unstats.un.org/unsd/tourism/. Date of access: 20 July 2023

Wirth, T., Hayek, U. W., Kunze, A., Neuenschwander, N., Stauffacher, M., Scholz, R. W. (2014). Identifying urban transformation dynamics: Functional use of scenario techniques to integrate knowledge from science and practice. In Technological Forecasting and Social Change 89, pp. 115–130. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2013.08.030

World Economic Forum, The Global Competitiveness Report https://www.weforum.org/publications/

World Economic Forum, Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), https://www.weforum.org/publications/

World Travel and Tourism Council, Latest Insights & Publications https://wttc.org/research/insights-publications

World Travel Organization, International Tourism Highlights, 2020 https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284422456

Zekan, B., Weismayer, C., Gunter, U., and Schuh, B., Sedlacek, S. (2022). Regional sustainability and tourism carrying capacities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 339:130624. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.130624 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.130624

Published

2024-04-06

How to Cite

Okroshidze, L., Meyer, D. F., & Khelashvili, I. (2024). An assessment of tourism competitiveness: A comparative analysis of Georgia and neighboring countries. Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research (JEECAR), 11(2), 377–393. https://doi.org/10.15549/jeecar.v11i2.1536