A determination of destination competitiveness for taiwan's hot springs tourism sector using the delphi technique

This study proposes a guiding framework for the future development of hot springs tourism in Taiwan, drawing upon the factors influencing the competitiveness of the sector. The importance of each of the factors is evaluated using a modified version of the Delphi technique. An expert panel was drawn up and following three rounds of discussion, arrived at a consensus on the following determinant groupings (a total of 76 items): tourism destination resources and attractors (27 items), tourism destination strategies (33 items), and tourism destination environments (16 items). The results highlight prospective priority areas for bringing about improvements in the hot springs tourism domain. It was found that there should be an emphasis on measures to ensure the safety and security of hot springs bathing, on the application of sustainability principles to hot springs related enterprises, and on the development of policies and plans. Further research is needed to validate the applicability of the proposed guiding framework, drawing upon a wider range of perspectives, including outside Taiwan.