Sectoral patterns of tourism and technology across European NUTS-3 regions

dual specialization or divergent paths?

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7784/rbtur.v20.3530

Keywords:

Regional specialisation, Sectoral structure, Tourism, Technology, European regions

Abstract

This paper examines the coexistence of tourism and technology across European NUTS-3 regions using Eurostat employment data for 2003–2023. A relative specialisation index is constructed to classify regions according to their sectoral profiles, and a Bai–Perron test applied to regional income identifies a structural break around 2010, allowing comparison between pre- and post-break periods. The results show strong persistence in regional specialisation patterns, alongside moderate shifts away from dual-specialised configurations towards more asymmetric structures. Low-specialisation profiles dominate, particularly among lower-income regions, while higher-income regions are more frequently associated with technology-intensive and dual-specialisation patterns. Structural changes are sector-specific and income-dependent, with technology-related specialisation exhibiting greater variability in both income groups, particularly among higher-income regions. Overall, tourism and technology frequently coexist within differentiated regional configurations associated with different initial conditions and sectoral profiles. By providing evidence at a highly disaggregated territorial level, this paper contributes to the literature by moving beyond dichotomous interpretations of sectoral development and documenting the coexistence of multiple, heterogeneous regional trajectories in the interaction between tourism and technology.

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Author Biographies

Ana Belén Ramón-Rodríguez, University of Alicante

Is a professor at the University of Alicante in the Department of Applied Economic Analysis. She is a researcher at the University Institute of International Economics and head of the Research Group on Tourism Economics, Natural Resources, and New Technologies at the University of Alicante. The author’s research is focused on tourism services, internationalization and hospitality management, and the innovation and new technologies applied to the tourism sector. Contribuições: Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

Aimée Torres-Penalva, University of Alicante

Aimée Torres-Penalva is a post-doctorate researcher at the University of Alicante working on regional economic convergence, income inequalities, and the role of sectoral specialization in shaping economic development. Contribuições: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

David Matesanz-Gómez, Universidad de Oviedo

Is Professor of the Applied Economic Department - Universidad de Oviedo, Spain. He received his PhD in Economics from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. His research interests and expertise are in the areas of international economics, tourism economics and complex systems. Contributions: Methodology, Supervision, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

Luis Moreno-Izquierdo, University of Alicante

Is Full Professor at the University of Alicante and director of the Research Group on Innovation Economics and Artificial Intelligence (ECO-IA). His main research areas are tourism economics and technological transformation in various sectors. Contributions: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validatio, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

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Published

2026-10-15

How to Cite

Ramón-Rodríguez, A. B., Torres-Penalva, A., Matesanz-Gómez, D., & Moreno-Izquierdo, L. (2026). Sectoral patterns of tourism and technology across European NUTS-3 regions: dual specialization or divergent paths?. Revista Brasileira De Pesquisa Em Turismo, 20, 3530 . https://doi.org/10.7784/rbtur.v20.3530

Issue

Vol. 20 (2026)

Section

Articles - Tourism Management

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Copyright (c) 2026 Ana Belén Ramón-Rodríguez, Aimée Torres-Penalva, David Matesanz-Gómez, Luis Moreno-Izquierdo

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