Determinants of tourism destination competitiveness in Savannakhet province, Lao PDR: A proposed model

Abstract

Recently, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) has increasingly become a popular tourist destination, especially for international tourists. Because there is still a lack of research on the tourism aspects of this country, this article aims to develop a model to assess destination competitiveness and identify critical factors affecting tourism destination competitiveness within the tourism industry in Savannakhet province in Lao PDR in 2023. By using the quantitative method, the research conducted a survey with 153 respondents and analysed the data using SPSS. Moreover, Importance - Performance Analysis is also employed. As a result, eight groups of factors with 29 items were determined. These factors are resources, diversity and quality of facilities and accommodation, costs and safety, currency, vision of the tourism destination, environmentally oriented destinations, demand, and supporting factors. This research is also expected to provide valuable insights and help the government, destination management organisations, residents, and other interested parties to gain a better understanding of the critical determinants of tourism destination competitiveness in Savannakhet province, Lao PDR.