Insularity's Dual Role in Tourism: Bridging Competitive Advantage and Structural Fragility in Mature Island Destinations

This dataset supports an empirical study analysing the determinants of competitive vulnerability in island tourism destinations, with the Canary Islands as a case study (2010–2024). The central research hypothesis states that the coexistence of high tourism performance and underlying structural fragilities can be explained through a set of factors aligned with the Crouch and Ritchie (2003) destination competitiveness model. Specifically, we hypothesise that: (i) higher tourism intensity and economic tertiarisation increase competitive vulnerability; (ii) stronger air connectivity reduces structural–economic vulnerability; (iii) systemic shocks (e.g., COVID-19) generate persistent increases in vulnerability; and (iv) higher median income is associated with lower internal fragility.

The dataset consists of a balanced panel covering five islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and La Palma), integrating annual indicators on tourism demand, accommodation supply, air transport capacity, socioeconomic conditions, and labour market characteristics. The data were obtained entirely from official secondary sources, including the Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) and the Instituto Canario de Estadística (ISTAC). All variables were harmonised, indexed to a common base year (2010), and processed to ensure comparability across islands and years. These components were normalised (0–100 scale) and weighted to construct the Competitive Vulnerability Index (CVI/IVC). The dataset therefore enables replication of the index, comparative analysis across islands, and examination of long-term trends.