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Tourism Clustering and Innovations

New publication by the European Tourism Research Institute in Sweden, focusing on tourism clustering.

The general interest in the cluster concept and the pace of innovation has increased tremendously over time. These phenomena are often regarded to be of uttermost importance to the competitiveness of the individual company, to regional as well as national development and to economic growth. The terms have become so common and frequently used that there is a need to clarify what is meant by clusters in the context of the tourism and travel industry and how this approach can lead to a positive development. There has traditionally been a strong emphasis on the manufacturing industry when studying clusters, while the service sector to a large extent has been neglected.

The report Tourism Clustering and Innovations applies the cluster concept to the tourism and travel industry. The report consists of three parts. In the first one a theoretical overview of cluster and innovation theories is presented, showing some of the unique features that characterize the tourism and travel industry. The second part introduces tourism cluster development in three areas of the world, offering the opportunity to learn from the experiences of others. The third and last part involves a case study of Are and Funäsdalsfjällen, where the Swedish destinations in question are analyzed from a cluster perspective, based on a number of interviews with tourist entrepreneurs in the areas.

The report can be downloaded here (1,9 mb) or at ETOUR´s website: www.etour.se

For more information please contact Sara Nordin,
E-mail: sara.nordin @ etour.se
Phone: +4663195845