An innovative customer-centric approach to enhancing the competitiveness of tourism destinations

• Through the triangulation method comprising a content analysis, an analysis based on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and a combined importance-performance analysis (IPMA) and necessary conditions analysis (NCA),. • The research identifies key dimensions of the tourism framework, the relationships established between them, and the priorities that require increased managerial attention to enhance customer-perceived performance. • The study contributes to the scientific field by offering a novel customer-centric perspective on defining tourism infrastructure ecosystem and provides practical insights for industry stakeholders to identify tourists' needs and implement targeted strategies. The tourism sector has grown considerably thanks to digitalization, which facilitates planning and enables businesses and potential customers to connect more efficiently. This study analyzes the need for investment in Romanian tourism infrastructure and evaluates industry performance using data from 466 respondents who completed an online questionnaire about tourism attributes and outcomes based on their recent experiences. Through the triangulation method—including a content analysis, an analysis based on partial least squares structural equation modeling, and a combined importance–performance map analysis and necessary conditions analysis—this research identifies key elements of the tourism framework, the relationships established between them, and the priorities that require increased managerial attention to enhance customer-perceived performance. The study contributes to the scientific field by offering a novel customer-centric perspective on defining tourism infrastructure and provides practical insights for industry stakeholders to identify tourists’ needs and implement targeted strategies.