Transforming competitiveness into economic benefits: Does tourism stimulate economic growth in more competitive destinations?

This research note investigates the impact of a destinationʹs competitiveness upon tourismʹs contribution to economic growth using a cross-section with 131 countries. Destination competitiveness is measured with the World Economic Forumʹs Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, while tourismʹs contribution to economic growth is measured with the growth decomposition methodology. Results reveal that destination competitiveness has no statistically significant impact on tourismʹs contribution to economic growth. Tourism policy implications and directions for future research are also discussed.