Managing destination competitiveness through Interaction Spatial Models: A tourist spatial behavior approach
Co-authored with L. Andrades and presented at the Consumer Behavior in Tourism Symposium 2011 in Brunico, Italy
The purpose of this paper is to suggest how the “Interaction Spatial Models” (Nakanishi & Cooper, 1974) can be... more The purpose of this paper is to suggest how the “Interaction Spatial Models” (Nakanishi & Cooper, 1974) can be applied to evaluate tourists´ spatial behaviour (TSB) and as a result, to measure tourism destination competitiveness (TDC) by adopting an integrative and complete approach.
Spatial Complex Network Analysis and Accessibility Indicators: the Case of Municipal Commuting in Sardinia, Italy
Co-authored with Andrea De Montis and Alessandro Chessa
European Journal of Transport and Infrastructure Research, 11(4): 405-419
In this paper a contribution is presented with respect to accessibility indicators modelling for commuters moving... more
In this paper a contribution is presented with respect to accessibility indicators modelling for commuters moving through the municipalities of Sardinia, in Italy. In this case, spatial complex network analysis is integrated into the construction of accessibility measures: one of the most relevant outcomes of the first tool –the detection of shortest road paths and distances- is adopted as an input for the second in modelling accessibility indicators. Instead of Euclidean distances
often adopted in the literature, shortest road distances are chosen, as commuting implies movements that are usually repeated daily and very likely subjected, even unconsciously, to
space and time minimization strategies.
In particular, two commuter accessibility indicators are constructed according to approaches based on a travel cost and a spatial interaction model with impedance function calibrated in
exponential and in power form. The accessibility indicators are confronted each other and with relevant socio-economic and infrastructure characteristics of Sardinia.
In addition, they are described, with respect to their spatial distribution and their different implications, when adopted in decision-making and planning. The travel cost based accessibility indicator has a municipal spatial distribution strongly influenced by the main road infrastructure of the Island. By contrast, spatial interaction model based accessibility indicators are more reliable, with respect to their capacity to confirm a leading socio-economic role of the municipalities comprehended in the metropolitan area of the capital town Cagliari.

