Local tourists' perceptions of tourist destinations' competitiveness: a comparative study of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Oman

PurposeDestination competitiveness is a significant contributor to tourism growth, performance and development. The current research intends to test the effect of the dimensions of the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI) on destination competitiveness in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Oman and how competitiveness influences tourism performance and development.Design/methodology/approachThe perspectives of 460 responses were collected from the UAE, 457 from Egypt and 301 responses from Oman. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was utilised to measure the research model relationships.FindingsThe results showed that the competitiveness index components are significantly contributing to destination competitiveness and that this competitiveness is predicting both tourism performance and development.Originality/valueThis study developed and empirically tested the effect of an integrative model of the competitiveness index on destination competitiveness from the perspective of local visitors in three Muslim and Arab nations. This study gives scholars valuable perceptions into how socio-cultural variations between residents and locals in various nations might result in significantly diverse behaviours.