The effect of virtual proximity and digital adoption on international tourism flows to Southern Europe

Abstract

This paper extends the traditional gravity model to explain the effect of digitalization on international tourism flows to five Southern European countries, where tourism plays an important economic role. The analysis is based on balanced panel data covering the period 2004–2019. Internet-user statistics and Google Trends search data are used as a proxy for digital adoption and virtual proximity, respectively, by source markets. Results lend support to the notion that virtual proximity rather than digital adoption aided international travel, demonstrating that digitalization cannot be interpreted as a fluid and vague concept that exerts a consistent effect. Results also present evidence that Southern European countries should not be treated as a block of homogenous destinations. These findings inform stakeholders regarding the significance of digital platforms as strategic tools to empower consumers.

Digitalisation and rural tourism development in Europe

“…In our case under study, we present an analysis based on a regional database, adopting a delimitation of NUTS regions to avoid clearly studying non-rural areas. This filtering of data in the Eurostat database is different from that proposed in previous studies, such as that of Guedes et al (2023) or López-Cordova (2020), who make use of other databases such as Google Trends or the reports of the Bilateral tourism flows come from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Although data from different statistical sources are analysed, there are common elements because digital contracting through the main platforms such as Expedia, Booking or Tripadvisor is present in our study and in the economic literature.…”

“…From the European perspective, the relevance of the tourism sector is a reality in many economies that are now part of the EU. Specifically, its importance stands out in countries that have characteristics with which a higher level of tourist demand is related, such as better weather, lower average prices for stays, proximity to large urban centres, and cultural attractions or large coastal areas that are attractive for beach tourism (Martínez & Raya, 2008;Gemar et al, 2022;Guedes et al, 2023). Several attempts at regional analysis have been made based on regional data (NUTS) relating to point-of-sale electronic transactions in the tourism field (Marques et al, 2021;2023).…”

“…This is a strategy that has acquired even more relevance in the context after the health crisis, where it is confirmed that the advance of digitalisation has very positive effects on the revitalisation of activities, directly or indirectly, related to tourism and, by extension, on the economic growth of these regions. This European commitment to the sector's digitalisation forces us to evaluate its real effects on tourism supply and demand in rural areas and the results in boosting the sector and rural economies (OECD, 2020;Almeida-Santana et al, 2020;Tang et al, 2022;Guedes et al, 2023).…”

The network characteristics of classic red tourist attractions in Shaanxi province, China

“…In terms of the correlation of tourism flow, most scholars have studied the coupling relationship between tourist flow and transportation based on the perspective of coupling [25]. Some scholars have also focused on other related studies of tourist flow [26], such as the relationship between tourist flow and the tourism environment [27], and the degree of coupling between tourism and the economy [28]. A few scholars have also investigated the impacts of haze [29], traffic [30], policies [31], language [32], natural disasters, and trade openness [33,34] on tourist flow.…”

Virtual Journeys, Real Engagement: Analyzing User Experience in a Virtual Traveling Social Platform

“…According to a study on tourism flow in Southern Europe [12], digital adoption-the incorporation of digital technologies within the tourism industry-has a less significant effect on drawing tourists than virtual proximity, which is defined as the perceived ease of digital interaction with a destination. This emphasizes the crucial role of a strong online presence and an engaging online experience to increase tourism.…”