The price competitiveness of travel and tourism: a comparison of 19 destinations

This paper presents findings and conclusions from an examination of the price competitiveness of 19 tourism destinations. Using Australia as a base country, the paper compares the prices of a bundle of tourist goods and services in a range of competing destinations, through the development of indices of international price competitiveness. Two major categories of prices are distinguished - those relating to travel to and from a destination (travel cost) and those relating to prices within the tourism destination (ground cost). (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.