Sustainable smart specialisation of small-island tourism countries
Open Access
- 5 October 2019
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Emerald in Journal of Tourism Futures
- Vol. 6 (2), 121-133
- https://doi.org/10.1108/jtf-01-2019-0010
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) development and terrestrial and marine protection on the economic and environmental sustainability of small-island tourism countries. The current study expands the smart specialisation literature in the context of small-island tourism nations. It also proposes sustainable future growth strategies for these countries. This paper adopted structural equation modelling using the data of 14 island nations between 1995 and 2014. The selection of countries was based on a set of criteria borrowed from literature. The results indicate that the development of ICT infrastructure was not only associated with a higher inflow of tourists and a higher GDP per capita but also with a higher carbon dioxide (CO2) emission. Results also suggest that higher protection of terrestrial and marine areas has no impact on tourist inflows in tourism countries. Also, higher protection decreases the dependence of the total output on the tourism sector. A limitation of this study is the lack of available macro data on some other relevant variables for the countries studied. Following the findings of this study, the governments of these countries should make stringent environmental regulations and relax the telecom regulations for sustainable smart specialisation. This study presents a novel insight into the sustainability challenge of island nations through the lens of smart specialisation. It also contributes to the literature on ICT and development.Keywords
This publication has 21 references indexed in Scilit:
- Confused by too many choices? Choice overload in tourismTourism Management, 2013
- Information Systems in Developing Countries: A Critical Research ReviewJournal of Information Technology, 2008
- How Fast are Small Tourism Countries Growing? Evidence from the Data for 1980–2003Tourism Economics, 2007
- A new approach to sustainable tourism development: Moving beyond environmental protectionNatural Resources Forum, 2003
- Small States, Small Problems? Income, Growth, and Volatility in Small StatesWorld Development, 2000
- Doing the Four-Step RightStructural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 2000
- Why Are Tourism Countries Small and Fast-Growing?SSRN Electronic Journal, 1999
- How can IT enable economic growth in developing countries?Information Technology for Development, 1998
- Stoking the fires? CO2 emissions and economic growthJournal of Public Economics, 1995
- Pattern and impact of tourism on the environment of the CaribbeanTourism Management, 1988