AN ASSESSMENT OF COMPETITIVENESS OF TOURISM DESTINATION: THE CASE OF NORTH GONDAR ZONE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: It is important that destinations are able to measure their competitiveness in order to identify their strengths and weaknesses and thereby develop their future strategies. North Gondar’s competitiveness as a tourist destination has not been studied and analyzed and so, no study results have been used for an efficient decision making in the sector. Purpose: The aim of this study is to present the results of a survey on the competitiveness of North Gondar as an international tourism destination from a supply-side perspective. Methodology: Both primary and secondary data were used in this research. As methods of collecting primary data, a structured five point Likert scale questionnaire was employed and data was collected from 170 respondents. For secondary data, published; such as books and journals, unpublished statistical materials such as records maintained governmental organizations and researches carried out by individuals, were used. Data was analyzed quantitatively using frequencies, percentages, means, medians, modes and standard deviations in SPSS and results were discussed on importance –performance analysis (IPA) grid. Findings: The study finds that it is only with 33% of the total attributes presented to the respondents that the destination was viewed to be competitive when almost all attributes were seen to be important for the competitiveness of the zone in the international tourism market. Practical implications: Responsible bodies might find the study findings and recommendations useful for providing insights on how to improve the competitiveness of North Gondar as a tourism destination. Key words: Tourism; Tourism destination; Tourism destination competitiveness; Factors of competitiveness; IPA grid; North Gondar zone