Island Development Model Specialisation: A Panel Data Analysis Comparing Evolutionary Tourism Model, Industrial to Community-Based (2010–2019)

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

I have two substantive issues and a few minor points.

Firstly, the study is on occasion too narrow, too tied into the EU islands. In the early part, before the analysis, on 126-7 all the examples are from the Mediterranean (plus Tenerife). This was an opportunity to identify a wider applicability of this tourism industrialisation process by mention of islands from outside the study area. Then on 335 there is a general point about islands emanating from this study of just EU tourist islands. All islands are not ‘characterised by an economic structure centred on tourism and service sectors.’

 

Secondly there is an issue about the scope of the analysis. The article takes published data and subjects it to a principal components analysis. However, the data collected and/or the choice of data used required some acknowledgement of its limitations. The first two variables regarding accommodation were touted as being ‘essential to understand how the tourism sector is evolving’ (255). Is this true? New hotels were seen as evidence of ‘a dynamic industry which is growing and offers new quality services to the tourist demand’ (256) and contribute to ‘the wealth of the resident community’ (259). Two comments occur:

·      What about leakage?

·   What about the developments in tourism towards ecotourism, green tourism, changing visitor demands and expectations, the whole idea of sustainability? The analysis with its focus on growth has a rather out-dated feel. 

 

I would like to see proper acknowledgement of the fact that tourism evolution, even in these highly developed EU islands is not now predicated solely upon growth in infrastructures and visitor numbers. Even Mallorca, long renowned for being in thrall to downmarket mass tourism, has in recent years made considerable attempts to adapt its offering to cater additionally for a more sophisticated (and wealthier) clientele, within a strategy that offers greater protection for its environment. Some beachfront hotels have even been demolished.

 

Now, the article does mention sustainability versus the implied problems of seeking a ‘quick return’ (401) at the risk of environmental damage. However, this warning sits as something added on as it occurs in the final paragraph; it would have been preferable if sustainability and all it entails could have been boosted to inform the analysis throughout.

 

Minor points

13 Frequently not mainly.

84 Tourism industry should also contain delivery systems and these are often not ‘located in a tourism destination’.

126 Palma de Mallorca is the city on Mallorca, rather than being the name of the island.

201ff Standardise upper/lower case initial letters for the list of principles.

 

 

Author Response

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Reviewer 2 Report

Thank you for the opportunity re review the manuscript. The topic seems interesting however I am afraid the manuscript is not ready for publication. In the current format, the paper looks similar to a report rather than an academic article. The aim and objectives of the research are not clear. Most importantly the significance or the reason to conduct this study are not discussed. For example, there are many claims in the introduction with no sources to support. The sections should strongly discuss the significance of the research based on the arguments in the literature.

Similarly, the literature review is limited, and the links are not clear. Reading the discussion, I can not see how the findings contribute to the research and practice.

The manuscript requires careful editing and proofreading.

Author Response

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Reviewer 3 Report

The treated article deserves a high qualification for the specialization of the subject.

The methodological approach responds to the minimum requirements usually established and the results obtained are of special interest to science.

The bibliography is extensive and sufficiently related.

A revision in grammatical forms is suggested.

I resolve to positively rate the article presented.

Author Response

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Reviewer 4 Report

Thank you for giving me the possibility to review this paper. The paper will be interesting to readers who are dealing with the issues of sustainable tourism and tourism destination management. The idea to analyze Mediterranean islands tourism and planning from sustainability point of view underlines the paper originality and raises the interest to the topic.

The abstract is well structured. The keywords are in line with the terms used in the research. The methodology is appropriate, relevant to understanding the phenomenon under investigation. Arguments and discussion of findings are coherent, balanced, and compelling. The references are correct of which most are up to date, and those from previous decades are relevant. The English language and style are OK, from my point of view.

I have only few suggestions to improve the paper before publishing.

·         The Introduction section correctly puts the research topic in context, with the objectives of the article and background to the paper provided. I recommend also presenting the structure of the paper in the last paragraph. I am not sure that the authors should give the research hypotheses in this section but it is important to articulate the hypotheses.

·         There is a quite strange opposition: “One significant problem here is that the socio-economic benefits dominate sustainability issues”. (lines 45-45). In contemporary research on sustainability issues it is more correct to look at social, ecological, and economic components as combining and intertwining elements of sustainability, and the main goal is to balance the economic, environmental, and social dimensions. See, for example, Nugraheni, A. I. P., Priyambodo, T. K., Sutikno, B., & Kusworo, H. A. (2020). The Social Dimensions’ Aspects of Sustainable Tourism Development Analysis: A Systematic Literature Review. Digital Press Social Sciences and Humanities, 4, or Kittinger, J. N., Finkbeiner, E. M., Glazier, E. W., & Crowder, L. B. (2012). Human dimensions of coral reef social-ecological systems. Ecology and Society, 17(4).  

·         It will be better to divide the final part into two parts, namely Discussion and Conclusion sections. In the last (but not least) one, the authors could more thoroughly present their statement on contributions to the literature, practical implications, limitations of the research, as well as future research paths.

·         There is some inadvertency which is easily eliminated:

…planning process of western nations.” Murphy (Preface XV - 1985). (lines 174-175)

6. Patents This section is not mandatory but may be added if there are patents resulting from the work reported in this manuscript (lines 406-408)

Funding: Please add: “This research received no external funding” (line 414)

Overall, the paper is recommended for publication, with minor revisions proposed above.

 

 

Author Response

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Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Thank you for the revisions. While The manuscript has improved it is not ready for publication.