Examining the complex causal relationships between the digital economy and urban tourist destination competitiveness

Tourism competitiveness has always been a crucial aspect of tourism research. With the emergence of the digital economy, it is important to understand how this new form of economic activity impacts tourism competitiveness. This paper utilizes the configurational theory of systems thinking to examine the complex causal impact of the digital economy on tourism competitiveness. The paper finds that none of the digital economy variables are necessary for tourism competitiveness. There are two basic paths for the digital economy to drive high tourist destination competitiveness: dual-driven model of digital infrastructure and finance occurring in less developed regions and digital regulation-led dual-driven model of digital innovation and finance occurring in developed regions. The reliability of the findings is confirmed by rigorous robustness tests. This research furnishes critical insights into the digital economy and tourism competitiveness theories and applications.