**2.1. The conceptual framework of tourism competitiveness**

The conceptual framework of tourism competitiveness is based on the pioneering studies that began to be published at the end of the twentieth century and the start of the twenty-first, fruit of the scientific activity of [2,18–20], among others. In [19], the competitiveness of one tourism destination with respect to another is defined as its increasing capacity to attract visitors, together with the increase in total tourist spending, offering them rewarding, satisfactory experiences. These authors also specify that an improvement must be produced in the wellbeing of the residents of the tourism destination, as well as continuity in the growth of the natural capital of the destination for future generations.

However, and despite the ease there may be a priori when exploring the registry of data that allow the determination of the degree of attraction of a geographical location, the measurement of tourism competitiveness is a complex task, as, in agreement with [21], it is an abstract concept, not directly observable and with a multidimensional character resulting from the sum of variables, many of them compared to those of another tourist destination that is taken as a reference. Therefore the measurement of competitiveness can be subjective and depend on factors such as the approach of the researcher, the aim of the research, etc., thereby enabling the existence of diverse models of competitiveness. In agreement with [2], to suitably measure the competitiveness of tourism destinations, it is advisable to distinguish between the com‐ parative and competitive advantages of a tourism destination. In [22] the comparative advantages are defined as the tourism heritage of the destination, as opposed to the compet‐ itive advantages which are those that arise when planning, management and marketing policies are applied to the comparative advantages.

From this differentiation between comparative and competitive advantages, different authors have proposed several models to explain tourism competitiveness. In [22], the competitiveness model of [1–4] is indicated as being among the most significant. A commonality of these models is an interrelated set of diverse elements that influence tourism competitiveness, thus recog‐ nising that competitiveness is a clearly multidimensional fact, which can be characterised by indicators of both an objective and subjective nature, as stated in [23].
