Tourism Competitiveness Evaluation: Evidence From Mountain Tourism in China

Qian Cao; Md Nazirul Islam Sarker; Dian Zhang; Jiangyan Sun; Teng Xiong; Jieying Ding

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.809314

Tourism Competitiveness Evaluation: Evidence From Mountain Tourism in China

Front Psychol. 2022 Mar 31:13:809314. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.809314. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Qian Cao¹, Md Nazirul Islam Sarker², Dian Zhang¹, Jiangyan Sun³, Teng Xiong⁴, Jieying Ding⁵

Affiliations

¹ Research Center of Eco-cultural Tourism in Western Hubei, Hubei Minzu University, Enshi, China.
² School of Political Science and Public Administration, Neijiang Normal University, Neijiang, China.
³ Hubei Enshi College, Enshi, China.
⁴ Penshui County Development and Reform Commission, Chongqing, China.
⁵ Institute of Ethnology and Sociology, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, China.

Abstract

The evaluation of tourism competitiveness is an important tool for analyzing the potential of tourism in a specific context. Enshi Autonomous Prefecture (EAP) in China is selected as a case through which to explore the potential of mountain tourism and its competitiveness in the tourism industry. This study develops EAP's mountain tourism competitiveness model focusing on three criteria: core competitiveness of mountain tourism, the economic environment's competitiveness, and infrastructure competitiveness. Context-specific customized evaluation index has been applied to data collected from EAP Statistical Yearbook for 2005-2014. The study reveals that the value of EAP's mountain tourism core competitiveness, economic and environmental competitiveness, and infrastructure competitiveness are 84.292, 13.4, and 2.308%, respectively. When tourism core competitiveness is increased by one unit, EAP's mountain tourism competitiveness will increase by 0.84292 units. Similarly, when economic environment competitiveness is increased by one unit, EAP's mountain tourism competitiveness will increase by 0.134 units. EAP's mountain tourism competitiveness increases by 0.02308 units when infrastructure competitiveness increases by one unit. The major reasons for low levels of competitiveness were lack of awareness of the county authority, a low level of cooperation, and weak infrastructure. The recommendations from the study's findings are as follows. Firstly, the county authority should appropriately improve the relationship between competition and cooperation, maintaining cooperation in competition, and competition in cooperation. Secondly, the county authority should strengthen communication by establishing an effective coordinated mechanism. Thirdly, the county authority should improve the sense of cooperation and jointly develop the mountain tourism market. Fourthly, the county authority should improve the construction of tourism infrastructure and break down the barriers to tourism cooperation. The study's findings help develop a "win-win" cooperation mechanism within the competition and support the sustainable development of the mountain tourism industry while reducing poverty and promoting the revitalization of the mountains of China.

Keywords: Enshi Autonomous Prefecture (EAP); competitiveness evaluation; tourism competitiveness; tourism industry; tourism psychology.