Assessing the competitiveness of Matera and the Basilicata Region (Italy) ahead of the 2019 European Capital of Culture

Abstract

Cities/regions are increasingly using events to aid social/economic development. The European Capital of Culture promotes urban management and economic production using culture to drive social legacies, job creation and civic re-positioning. This paper aims to understand how Matera and Basilicata's residents perceive destination competitiveness ahead of the 2019 ECoC. This paper adapts the Integrated Model of Destination Competitiveness and suggests a new determinant to understand resident perceptions. This paper contributes a new determinant to consider in competitiveness research: social conditions to improve local wellbeing. 200 respondents identify strengths/weaknesses of each competitiveness determinant. The results presented in this study display sample mean values and standard deviations for each indicator, as well as Wilcoxon test statistic (z). Competitive indicators are those showing means above 4.0. Descriptive and inferential analyses using SPSS 17 show strengths/weaknesses comparing Matera (city) and Basilicata (region)-with similarities and differences outlined to consider both urban and regional perspectives and differences. For the data analysis, Wilcoxon paired signed rank test displays differences in the competitiveness factors between Matera and Basilicata. Wilcoxon (a nonparametric alternative to paired sample t-test) was performed since the data distribution was left-skewed and Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistic indicates violation of normality assumption. Results show the majority of inherited, created and supporting resources are competitive, as well as image and social conditions; however, management and organisation needs improvement. It is essential that ECoC hosts have long-term competitive strategies in place to strengthen urban and regional capacity when delivering diverse cultural programmes, at present, and into the future. This study offers insight before the 2019 European Capital of Culture to inform planners and policy makers ahead of the event and offers consideration and discussion of social impacts and the need to gain such insight in competitiveness research going forward.

The perceptions of host-city residents of the impact of mega-events and their support: the EXPO 2020 in Dubai

“…Furthermore, given the value of this event to Dubai and the wider region, its success is significant. The perceptions of local residents about the event need to be considered in the planning of the event and related destination policies to help ensure a successful event and provide greater future destination competitiveness (Aquilino et al, 2019) In order to address this gap, this study has adopted the following research question: 'What are residents' perceived impacts of hosting the Expo 2020 event in Dubai?'. The research objectives aim to understand: the nature of the relationship between the costs and benefits as perceived by the host-city residents and their support for EXPO 2020 in Dubai, the nature of the relationship between Community Concerns (CC) and support for the EXPO 2020 in Dubai, the nature of the relationship between community attachment (CA) and their support for the EXPO 2020 in Dubai, and how well are residents' perceived benefits and costs, CA and CC able to predict support for hosting the EXPO 2020 in Dubai.…”

Creativity as a source of differentiation in urban tourism: The case of Torino city

“…Studies on tourism competitiveness focus more heavily on destination competiveness in general (Crouch & Ritchie, ; Ritchie & Crouch, ) than on urban competitiveness. The few studies that use cities as a unit of analysis follow three main approaches: One focuses on the determinants of competitive advantages in terms of city endowments (Jensen‐Verbeke, ) and the linkage between users and resources (Hall & Page, ), a second focuses on business performance (Daskalopoulou & Petrou, ), and a third includes more intangible resources as a source of competitiveness (Aquilino, Armenski, & Wise, ).…”

“…The model proposed by Hall and Page () shows how important the interaction among residents, commuters, and tourists is and how they interrelate with the specific typology of resources (monuments or shops) located in certain cities' districts, which create tourist microareas or precincts (Hayllar, Griffin, & Edwards, ). Aquilino et al () offer a different perspective by not only focusing on the city but also considering the surrounding area as unit of analysis to address competitiveness.…”

Spatial-Temporal Pattern and Its Influencing Factors on Urban Tourism Competitiveness in City Agglomerations Across the Guanzhong Plain

“…Aquilino revised the integrated model and added a new determination condition. Through a questionnaire, he evaluated the tourism competitiveness of Italy's Matera and Basilicata region, and believed that, before 2019 European Capital of Culture, policies should be formulated to maintain the competitiveness of regions and cities both at present and in future [15]. Mazanec believed that tourism demand, overnight tourism growth rate, tourist seasonal distribution and tourist destination carrying capacity were the main factors affecting the European urban tourism competitiveness.…”