Volume 18, Issue 1, 2026
Authors: Michał Żemła
The central role of destination image in tourist competitiveness
Already-existing models of tourist destination competitiveness rooted in the resource-based view (RBV) theory often omit competition within the sector, which was presented in the model of five competitive forces by Porter. This limits their explanatory value. It is not the aim of the paper to neglect their outcomes, which have been confirmed in numerous further publications. However, the paper aims to expand dominant views and incorporate the outcome of industrial organisation (IO). Tourist destination superiority is reflected in visitors' choices. These decisions result from the perceived value that visitors expect from consuming tourism products of particular destinations. As a result, the destination image can be indicated as the central element of the destination competitiveness-establishing process. The paper aims to propose a theoretical model of relations which leads to establishing a particular level of a destination’s competitiveness. The paper is based on already published relations and rules that have been creatively incorporated into a new form of the destination competitiveness model. The model is expected to have an informative and explanatory value, which helps to understand the processes leading to establishing destination competitiveness. The model was not empirically tested as it does not offer new relations, instead, it combines relations that have been proven in contemporary literature.
https://doi.org/10.37043/JURA.2026.18.1.2