Use of innovation systems for an effective tourism marketing development strategy

Abstract

The exploitation of technology is critical for the tourism industry to achieve competitive advantage and to provide economic benefits for their locality, by reducing the asymmetric distribution of economic, political, and cultural capital globally. This study argues that the gap between the “ICTs – included” and “the ICTs-excluded” widens, further jeopardizing the social, cultural, and economic development at the global level; the consequently created digital divide may lead to digital and social exclusion—when individuals, communities, and organizations are unable to fully participate in the network society and determine their own destiny. For tourists and destinations, this means being unable to participate in the emerging electronic market and benefit from arising opportunities. The authors assert that in this newly evolving production environment the most efficient relationships are based on the creation of alliances, partnerships and networks among firms, enhanced by the emergence of new information and communication technologies (ICTs). Only DMOs and other tourist stakeholders with an ability to learn quickly, to collaborate and to translate that learning into active sharing of online experience, will be able to gain competitive advantages in these high velocity marketplaces.