Governance, sustainability, and competitiveness in urban destinations: a PLS-SEM model applied to tourism SMEs in Cali, Colombia

This study examines the relationships among destination governance, urban tourism management, sustainability, destination image, competitiveness and tourism performance among tourism small and medium-sized enterprises in Cali, Colombia. Using a quantitative approach, a structured questionnaire was administered to 120 companies in the tourism sector, selected through simple random sampling from a population of 2434 businesses registered with the Cali Chamber of Commerce. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that sustainability and governance exert significant effects on destination image and competitiveness, while competitiveness emerges as the primary determinant of tourism performance. Furthermore, partial mediation effects of destination image and competitiveness were identified within the structural model. The study contributes stakeholder-specific empirical evidence on the relationships among perceived destination governance, urban tourism management, sustainability, destination image, competitiveness and tourism performance in an emerging Latin American urban destination.