Network science: A Review Focused on Tourism

This paper presents a review of the methods of the science of networks with an application to the field of tourism studies. The basic definitions and computational techniques are described and a case study (Elba, Italy) used to illustrate the effect of network typology on information diffusion. A static structural characterization of the network formed by destination stakeholders is derived from stakeholder interviews and website link analysis. This is followed by a dynamic analysis of the information diffusion process within the case destination demonstrating that stakeholder cohesion and adaptive capacity have a positive effect on information diffusion. The outcomes and the implications of this analysis for improving destination management are discussed.     

Marijuana and alcohol: Evidence using border analysis and retail sales data

We use retail scanner data on purchases of alcoholic beverages across US counties for 2006 to 2015 to study the link between medical marijuana laws (MMLs) and alcohol consumption. To do this, we exploit differences in the timing of marijuana laws among states and find that they are substitutes. We show that unlike traditional national-level analysis, focusing on contiguous-border county pairs provides unbiased estimates of the effect of MMLs on alcohol sales. Specifically, alcohol sales in counties located in MML states decreased by 12.4%. Results are robust to including placebo effective dates for MMLs in treated states.     

On the Consumer Value of Diversity: An Application to Italian Fish

This article investigates the consumer value of diversity both conceptually and empirically. It proposes a measure of diversity value based on a benefit function. It shows that the consumer value of diversity can arise from complementarity and/or convexity effects among consumer goods. The usefulness of the approach is illustrated by an application to fish in Italy. The investigation illustrates the role played by both convexity and complementarity in the valuation of diversity. The empirical evidence shows the importance of dynamics. It also documents how the value of diversity varies depending on the bundles considered.     

On duality and the benefit function

This paper investigates the duality relationships between Marshallian and compensated price-dependent consumer demands. We associate the compensated price-dependent demand with Luenberger’s benefit function, which has nice aggregation properties and provides a general basis for conducting welfare analysis. As an analog to the well-known “Slutsky equation,” we derive a “Luenberger equation” establishing the general relationships between Marshallian and compensated price-dependent slopes. Our duality results strengthen the conceptual linkages between positive economic analysis and welfare analysis.     

Easing the adoption of agent-based modelling (ABM) in tourism research

Agent-based modelling (ABM) is an emerging approach in tourism research. Despite the natural fit between theories of tourism as a complex, interconnected system, and the generative approach supported in ABM, there has been only limited integration within mainstream tourism research. This research letter reports on a recent gathering of tourism ABM researchers to define the main challenges that face the adoption of ABM in tourism research. These include technical, communications, and novelty issues. In response to these challenges, three potential strategies to ease adoption are outlined: education, awareness, and interdisciplinary teams. These findings are framed as a call for increased attention to the fit of ABM within tourism research, and a framework for negotiating constraints to adoption of this technology.     

Complexity traits and synchrony of cryptocurrencies price dynamics

Decisions in Economics and Finance - In this study, we characterized the dynamics and analyzed the degree of synchronization of the time series of daily closing prices and volumes in US$ of three...     

Free trade agreements and world obesity

We study the causal link between trade openness via free trade agreements (FTAs) and obesity rates. When applying a difference-in-differences approach by exploiting the year a country entered a free trade agreement with the United States during the period 1990–2016. We find a positive and causal impact of FTAs on obesity rates, which are statistically and economically significant. We show that our findings are robust to placebo tests, the use of synthetic control methods, and a maximized sample. Furthermore, we show that when using an event studies approach the equal trends assumption holds.     

Collaboration and cooperation in a tourism destination: a network science approach

The extent of collaboration and cooperation is an important determinant for the development of a tourism destination. These features are usually assessed through qualitative investigations. This letter proposes a quantitative approach based on the evaluation of the modularity characteristics of the network of the destination stakeholders. The results of a sample analysis are reported.     

On the Consumer Value of Complementarity: A Benefit Function Approach

The article develops a conceptual model of the consumer value of complementarity and illustrates its usefulness in an application to fisheries. Complementarity arises when some goods have a positive effect on the marginal value of other goods. We propose a measurement of the value of complementarity based on the benefit function. Our econometric analysis of fish consumption in Italy examines these issues, with special attention given to dynamics. Our results show that, while short-run fish demand is characterized by substitution relationships, complementarity does develop in the intermediate run and in the long run.