Explanatory Power of the Tourist Destination Competitiveness Index on the Control of the First Wave of COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose – This article intends to analyse the explanatory power of the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) and some of its constituent factors on national success metrics in managing the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach – The authors study the outbreak control effectiveness of 132 countries during the first semester of 2020. The authors apply generalized linear regression models and weighted least squares models using 6 COVID-19-related dependent variables, 9 TTCI-related independent variables and 12 control variables.

Findings – The results suggest that countries with superior TTCI values and selected constituent factors have the highest daily averages of coronavirus infections and fatalities per million and the highest speed rates of COVID-19 spread. The authors also find that these countries have the shortest government response time, the lowest daily average of the social restrictions index and the shortest time from the first case reported in China to the first case reported nationally.

Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ awareness, no previous study exists analysing the statistical relationship between the TTCIB and some of its constituent factors with the selected metrics of national success at managing the initial surge of the COVID-19 pandemic. This fact represents the primary evidence of this article’s unique contribution.

Note:
Funding Information: The authors of this academic research article declare that there were no funding sources for this research nor any competing interests.

Conflict of Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Keywords: Destination competitiveness, Competitiveness index, Travel and tourism competitiveness index, Preventive healthcare, COVID-19

JEL Classification: L83, Z3, Z32