Smart specialisation strategy in a tourist country: A new path of development in Italian regions?

This paper examines whether a region’s tourism vocation and tourism density influence priority selection in the European Smart Specialization Strategy (S3). Using a mixed-method approach, we first conduct a textual analysis of the Eye@RIS3 platform to identify tourism-related priorities. Then, we employ an econometric model to determine key influencing factors. Our findings show that regions specializing in maritime, thermal, and cultural tourism prioritize tourism initiatives, while those with multiple vocations do not. Additionally, regions with lower tourism density and no prior specialization are more likely to focus on tourism to drive economic development.