Developing a slow city tourism evaluation index: a Delphi-AHP review of Cittaslow requirements

Abstract

This study proposes and verifies the slow city tourism evaluation index (SCTEI). SCTEI offers scholars and practitioners the capacity to assess the attractiveness and/or performance of slow cities in the context of sustainable tourism. The study participants consisted of a panel of slow city and sustainable development experts. These professionals were engaged in a Delphi-analytic hierarchy process for the purposes of scale development and verification. Four rounds of surveying were conducted and generated a multi-dimensional structure, consisting of seven domains, 18 subdomains, and 60 items. Locality, conviviality, and education were outstanding amongst the seven domains. The newly developed SCTEI provides practical guidelines for ascertaining a slow city’s sustainable tourism performance and offers a standardized instrument for comparison and benchmarking purposes.

Keywords:

• Slow city
• sustainable
• Delphi
• analytic hierarchy process
• quality of life
• heritage
• conviviality

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jeong Hyun Kim

Jeong Hyun Kim graduated from School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research interests include sustainable tourism and tourism destination issues.

Brian E. M. King

Brian E.M. King is an Associate Dean (Executive Education & Partnerships) in the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has published extensively on tourism in the Asia–Pacific region. He is an editor-in-chief of Tourism, Culture and Communication and an elected fellow of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism (IAST).

Seongseop (Sam) Kim

Seongseop (Sam) Kim is a Professor in School of Hotel & Tourism Management, Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research interests are tourism destination management and event/convention tourism.