Tourism and quality of life: A spatial autocorrelation study applied to the city of mar del plata, province of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract

Analyses based on spatial autocorrelation make it possible to identify the degree of clustering, dispersion, or randomness among neighbouring spatial units. These analyses may be applied to univariate or bivariate scenarios. This article inquires about the existence of bivariate spatial autocorrelation between tourism and quality of life indicators, as well as into the degree of autocorrelation of each variable. The spatial units analysed are the 76 census tracts of Mar del Plata. The indicators used are annual overnight stays in hotels, the number of accommodations intended for tourism, and a quality of life index made up of four dimensions and eight indicators obtained from the Argentinean population census of 2010. Research findings reveal the configuration of two zones with positive spatial autocorrelation in the city, which validates the assumption that there is a relation between the existence of tourism facilities and a higher quality of life of residents in zones dedicated to tourism.