TOURISM COMPETITIVENESS OF ASIA PACIFIC DESTINATIONS

Destination competitiveness is a critical concept for countries/destinations to gain a favorable position in the changing world tourism market. Using the data from The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2011, the study employed both multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis methods to evaluate the destination competitiveness of 16 Asia Pacific destinations (countries). A three-dimensional perceptual map was generated to show the tourism competitive positioning of each destination. Cluster analysis was conducted to help identify groupings on perceptual maps. Seven destination groups were identified by cluster analysis. On the basis of perceptual maps, the competitive advantages and weaknesses of the seven destination groups in Asia Pacific were discussed. The study not only proposed a new methodology of combining multidimensional scaling with cluster analysis in interpreting perceptual maps but also revealed implications of this method in enhancing or sustaining competitiveness of destinations within the ever-changing tourism market.