Smart specialisation and tourism: Understanding the priority choices in EU regions. (April 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Biagi, Bianca; Brandano, Maria Giovanna; Ortega-Argiles, Raquel
• Is Part Of: Socio-economic planning sciences. Number 74(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-04
• Subjects: Cohesion policy -- European Union -- Innovation -- Discrete choice model -- Smart specialisation -- Tourism; Planning -- Periodicals; Economic policy -- Periodicals; Social policy -- Periodicals; Planification -- Périodiques; Politique économique -- Périodiques; Politique sociale -- Périodiques; ECONOMIC PLANNING; SOCIAL PLANNING; DECISION-MAKING; 361
• DOI: 10.1016/j.seps.2020.100883
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0038-0121

Abstract

Abstract: This paper examines the regions that have chosen tourism-related strategies as a priority of smart specialisation (S3) policies within the reformed EU Cohesion Policy. The paper collects data provided by the Smart Specialisation Platform (Eye@RIS3) from 2013 to 2018 for 191 EU regions to investigate regional determinants affecting the probability to choose tourism as one of their S3 priorities. Results show that tourism is considered as priority for almost half EU regions of the sample and that these regions have not homogeneous characteristics. Tourism represents the strategic choice of already developed tourism destinations as well as regions with no tourism specialisation. No specific relationship emerges between tourism concentration and the choice of tourism as their S3 priority. Highlights: Smart specialisation is a key concept within the reformed EU Cohesion Policy. S3 focuses on the prioritisation of public resources following a bottom-up approach. Tourism is considered as priority for almost half EU regions analysed in the paper. Tourism represents the strategic choice of already developed tourism destinations. Regions with no tourism specialisation prioritises it as diversification strategy.