Testing Causal Relationships of Smart Tourism Destination Determinants: An Application to an Emerging Tourism Region, Extremadura (Spain)

Juan Carlos Diez Apolo; Marcelino Sanchez Rivero; María Cristina Rodríguez Rangel

doi:10.25145/j.pasos.2026.24.070

Authors

Juan Carlos Diez Apolo Universidad de Extremadura https://orcid.org/0009-0000-4120-0218
Marcelino Sanchez Rivero Universidad de Extremadura https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3988-6278
María Cristina Universidad de Extremadura https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3526-5039

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25145/j.pasos.2026.24.070

Keywords:

smart tourism destinations, indicators, measurement model, structural equation modelling, PLS-SEM

Abstract

This study empirically analyses the relationships among the five dimensions of the Smart Tourism Destination (STD) model—Governance, Innovation, Technology, Sustainability, and Accessibility—using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The research examines 28 micro-destinations in Extremadura (Spain), a region with relatively low tourism competitiveness, based on indicators derived from the UNE 178502 standard. Results indicate that governance is the only dimension with a positive and statistically significant effect on sustainability, while the remaining hypothesised relationships are not supported. These findings suggest that the impacts of technology and innovation on other STD dimensions are not automatic and may depend on the destination’s level of development and maturity. The study contributes empirical evidence to a field largely dominated by theoretical approaches and highlights governance as a key driver of sustainable tourism development, particularly in emerging destinations. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously due to data limitations and the specific characteristics of the study area.

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Academic society: PASOS. Revista de Turismo y Patrimonio Cultural
Publisher: Instituto Universitario de Investigación Social y Turismo. Universidad de La Laguna (España) - Instituto Universitario da Maia ISMAI (Portugal)

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