A spatial origin-destination approach for the analysis of local tourism demand in Italy

Abstract

The article assesses the competitiveness of tourist destinations, while accounting for spatial features of tourism and information on both the origin and the destination of tourists. Using a dynamic spatial panel data model with common factors within the origin-destination framework, it explores unilateral inbound tourism flows in 110 Italian regions from 23 European origin countries over the period 2004–2017. The estimation and test results confirm the need to consider this advanced spatial econometric model. In an empirical application measuring tourism resilience of regions based on this model, the results demonstrate the importance of promoting coordinated actions between neighbouring destinations to support the attractiveness of local clusters.