Tourism Destination Competitiveness in Italy: a Stakeholders’ Perspective

The paper aims at evaluating destination competitiveness of one the world’s leading tourism countries from a stakeholders’ perspective. A survey questionnaire has been submitted to 550 tourism stakeholders from a number of outstanding Italian destinations. Destination competitiveness was analysed at national level, as well as according to type, size and geographic localization of the destinations. Empirical analysis shows that tourism policy, destination management and general infrastructures are the weakest features of the Italian tourism system. They contribute to explain the gap that has emerged between Italy and its main competitors in the last two decades. Unexploited tourism potentials have been found in smaller and inland destinations and in the less developed southern part of the country