CLUSTERING SILK ROAD COUNTRIES BASED ON COMPETITIVENESS FACTORS IN TOURISM INDUSTRY - Tourism in Central Asia: Cultural Potential and Challenges - page 216

Health and Hygiene
Physician density 1 2.41 1.248 -1.411 0.173

2 3.17 1.294

Access to improved sanitation 1 80.53 22.269 -2.179 0.041

2 97.11 4.986

Access to improved drinking water 1 89.71 8.844 -3.138 0.005

2 99.11 1.364

Hospital beds 1 43.71 25.727 -1.942 0.066

2 68.00 34.256

The first pillar, policy rules and regulations , consists of nine variables
(See Table 4). Out of these nine, only two show statistically significant
difference scores between the two clusters, which are visa requirements
(Mean 1 = 26.14; Mean 2 = 69.2; t = −3.890; p = 0.001) and openness of
the bilateral Air Service Agreements (Mean 1 = 7.60; Mean 2 = 10.67; t =
−2.723; p = 0.013). Visa requirements are described as “average number
of countries entirely or partially exempt from visa requirements” in the
TTCI index (TTCI; p. 97). In this context, certain countries in Cluster 2
a have relatively high number of visa exemptions, such as Republic of
Korea (110), Israel (85), Turkey (83), Croatia (70), Bulgaria (68), Greece
(68), Italy (68), and so forth when compared to Cluster 1 countries, such
as Albania (55), Egypt (61), Azerbaijan (12), Armenia (10), Pakistan (8),
and Saudi Arabia (5). Cluster 2 countries' higher average (Mean 2 = 69.2)
of visa exemption is likely to attract travelers when choosing a certain
country as a destination by making it easier to enter the country. In terms
of openness of bilateral Air Service Agreements, in which two nations sign
an agreement to allow each other to use commercial air services within
their territories, Cluster 2 countries have a statistically significant differ-
ence score (Mean 2 = 10.67), which implies that travelers will be benefit-
ting when they choose a certain country which has a bilateral air service
agreement with many countries. The other seven variables of the policy
rules and regulations pillar did not produce any statistically significant
difference scores between the two clusters (See Table 4). Thus, it can be
concluded that all countries have relatively medium scores, which have to
be improved by government authorities to develop T&T industry in their
countries.