ABSTRACT
Tourism core and created resources are important dimensions of a destination’s competitiveness and are the primary reasons why visitors choose one particular destination over another. However, despite the increasing debate in literature on the importance of tourism core and created resources Towards the Tourism Destination Competitiveness (TDC) level, the causal relationship with the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) are unexplored, especially with respect to the actual performance. This study evaluates the contributions of the core resources (cultural and heritage sites) and created resources (number of sports stadiums, number of international association meetings and number of high-end shopping malls) to the overall competitiveness of the tourism industry and also to its performances based on secondary data referring to the 115 destinations. The study findings extend the application of TDC theories and expand the body of knowledge of destination competitiveness.
