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FROM SMALL FIRMS TO BEAUTIFUL DESTINATIONS

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are the “life blood of the travel and tourism industry worldwide” (Erkkila 2004:23 cited in Novelli et al. 2006:1141), contributing both to the mass market products ...
Tourism Dimensions (Bi-Annual)

FROM SMALL FIRMS TO BEAUTIFUL DESTINATIONS: ENGINEERING COLLABORATIVE NETWORKS FOR DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT Stuart R. M. Reidab Valentina Dagostinc Tobias G Renkc René L Gubic

Abstract Collaborative networks provide a viable means for destination management organisations (DMOs) to engage small enterprises in collaborative destination development, and may offer a means to steer destinations toward sustainability. However, the use of collaborative networks in destination development remains under-studied. This paper reports on an exploratory qualitative study into a gastronomy network set up by a Destination Management Organization (DMO) in Southern Denmark. Based on ten semi-structured interviews the study examines the relationship between individual and collective goals in the network. The study illustrates that a DMO can occupy a powerful position a collaborative tourism network, providing scope to steer destination GHYHORSPHQW KRZHYHU WKLV KLQJHV XSRQ VXI¿FLHQW DOLJQPHQWEHWZHHQ LQGLYLGXDO DQG FROOHFWLYH JRDOV DQG this in turn requires insight into the individual goals driving actors’ participation. Building on the tripartite FODVVL¿FDWLRQRI0XQNVJDDUG  WKHVWXG\IRUPXODWHVDQDQDO\WLFDOIUDPHZRUNWRIDFLOLWDWHDQDO\VLVRI factors’ goals in collaborative tourism networks; and thus contributes a conceptual frame for research and practice.

Keywords: Collaboration, Collaborative Networks, Destination Management, Sustainability. WDNHVSUHFHGHQFHRYHUEXVLQHVV 6XQGERHWDO 

Introduction 0RVW WRXULVP VHUYLFHV DUH SURYLGHG E\ VPDOO ¿UPV %XKDOLV  &RRSHU   RIWHQ E\ VPDOO ³WRXULVP VKRSV´ 6XQGER HW DO   6PDOO WRXULVP ¿UPV DUHWKH³OLIHEORRGRIWKHWUDYHODQGWRXULVPLQGXVWU\ ZRUOGZLGH´ (UNNLOD  FLWHG LQ 1RYHOOL HW DO   FRQWULEXWLQJ ERWK WR WKH PDVV PDUNHW SURGXFWVLQWKH³VKRUWKHDG´ /HZ DQGWRWKH growing array of niche products in the lengthening ³ORQJ WDLO´ LELG VDWLVI\LQJ³>WRXULVWV¶@ VSHFL¿F LQWHUHVWVDQGQHHGV´ 1RYHOOLHWDO 

The interweaving of individual and collective action in tourism systems furtherchallenges the notion RI HFRQRPLF UDWLRQDOLVP DV WKH PDLQ GULYHU RI ¿UP EHKDYLRULQWRXULVPV\VWHPV7RXULVP¿UPVLQHYLWDEO\ co-operate, consciously or otherwise, to compete FROOHFWLYHO\ DW GHVWLQDWLRQ OHYHO7RXULVWV ³µFRQVXPH¶ destinations as a comprehensive experience” (Buhalis  DQG¿UPVRIWHQGHSHQGXSRQHDFKRWKHUWR GHOLYHUWKHGHVWLQDWLRQSURGXFWV6R³FRPSHWLWLRQLQ tourism is primarily between destinations, and only From the conventional economic view, tourism secondarily between individual service providers” ¿UPV DUH OLNH DQ\ RWKHU WKH\ DUH UDWLRQDO HQWLWLHV 2(&' DQGLQIDFW³WKHFRPSHWLWLYHQHVVRI engaged in an economic race for survival, competing HDFKSOD\HULVRIWHQLQWHUUHODWHG´ %XKDOLV  IRU FXVWRPHUV DQG SUR¿W +RZHYHU WKH VPDOO ¿UPV Destination management has traditionally viewed constituting the bulk of the tourism industry are not the collective competition in rational economic just rational economic units slavishly pursuinggreater terms. Typically, the goal has just been to get bigger: SUR¿WV WKH\ DUH LQVWHDG TXLWH GLVSDUDWHO\ LQVSLUHG tostrengthendestination appeal so as to attract more $OWKRXJK VRPH VPDOO ³WRXULVP VKRSV´ DUH RSHUDWHG tourists and grow market share. However, history has by development-oriented persons whose main aim is amply demonstrated that bigger is notautomatically business, most are in it for a life-styleand family life better: the burgeoning growth of tourism has patently a. Centre for Tourism, Innovation and Culture, University of Southern Denmark b. Corresponding author, phone +61429476757 email: [email protected] c. Candidate Negot International Tourism and Leisure Management, University of Southern Denmark Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2016

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Tourism Dimensions (Bi-Annual)

in-hand with it.

brought many problems, and sustainability is now a SUHVVLQJFRQFHUQ /LEXUG ,WLVQRZDEXQGDQWO\ clear that destinations cannot simply compete to JURZ DQG ³VXVWDLQDELOLW\ JRHV KDQGLQKDQG ZLWK FRPSHWLWLYHQHVV´ 2(&'   6R GHVWLQDWLRQ managers cannot pursue strategies predicated on growth alone, lest they erode the sociocultural and environmental foundation on which tourism rests /LEXUG2(&' 

Destination Management Organisations (DMOs) can EH ³SODWIRUPV IRU FRRSHUDWLRQ´ 2(&'   DQG ³>W@KHUH LV JUHDW SRWHQWLDO IRU WKH GHYHORSPHQW of alliances, networks and clusters in travel and WRXULVP´ 2(&'   'HVSLWH UHFHQW YDOXDEOH ZRUN HJ /DUVRQ /DUVRQ  *\LPyWK\  /LEXUG HW DO   UHVHDUFK RQ QHWZRUNV UHPDLQV sparse in tourism, especiallyregarding destination E F Schumacher’s classic work, Small Is PDQDJHPHQW 1RYHOOL HW DO 7LQVOH\  /\QFK Beautiful: A Study of Economics As If People   8QH[SORUHG TXHVWLRQV UHPDLQ DV WR KRZ 0DWWHUHG 6FKXPDFKHU   KROGV UHPDUNDEOH collaborative networks might be effectively used in relevance for the challenge now facing destination destination management, and this exploratory study PDQDJHUV6WDQGLQJLQRSSRVLWLRQWRWKH³REVHVV>LRQ@ seeks to shed light upon this relatively unexplored ZLWK WKH LGRODWRU\ RI JLDQWLVP´ 1DHHP   realm. implicit in mainstream economics, Schumacher’s alternative economic philosophy argues that orthodox Literature economics is unsustainable because its conceptions $ QHWZRUN LV ³D FRPSOH[ LQWHUFRQQHFWHG JURXS RU RIQDWXUDODQGKXPDQUHVRXUFHVDUHÀDZHG HJVHH V\VWHP´ 7LGG %HVVDQW LWLV³DVSHFL¿F 1DHHP 6FKXPDFKHU &HQWUH 6FKXPDFKHU type of relation linking a set of persons, objects or   3DUWLFXODUO\ E\ WUHDWLQJ QDWXUDO UHVRXUFHV DV HYHQWV´ .QRNH  .XNOLQVNL LQ 1RYHOOL income rather than non-renewable capital the orthodox  )RUPDO QHWZRUNV DUH SXUSRVHO\ VHW XS economic perspective ignores the fact of human WR DFKLHYH D VSHFL¿F JRDO 7LGG  %HVVDQW  $ ³GHSHQGHQFHRQWKHQDWXUDOZRUOG´ 1DHHP  ³IRFDODJHQW´ 7LGG %HVVDQW LVDQHQWLW\ As far as human resources go, orthodox economics that creates and manage aformal network. Ivery also fails to understand the nature of work: work and  GHVFULEHV D ³EURNHU RUJDQLVDWLRQ´ DV DQ OHLVXUHDUH³FRPSOHPHQWDU\SDUWVRIWKHVDPHOLYLQJ RUJDQLVDWLRQWKDWWDNHVUHVSRQVLELOLW\IRU³FRQYHQLQJ SURFHVV>WKDW@FDQQRWEHVHSDUDWHGZLWKRXWGHVWUR\LQJ participants, facilitating network development…and the joy of work and the bliss of leisure” (Schumacher providing general operating support”. A DMO may be &HQWUH   DQG WKH WKUHHIROG SXUSRVH RI ZRUN LV D³IRFDODJHQW´RU³EURNHURUJDQL]DWLRQ´E\SXUSRVHO\ to develop personal faculties,overcome egocentricity engineering a network to foment coordinated effort by joining others in a common task, and make the among the actors in tourism systems (Larson & products needed for a ‘becoming existence’ (e.g. see: *\LPyWK\7LQVOH\ /\QFK  1DHHP6FKXPDFKHU&HQWUH  Networks are not all the same. Conway and Steward $SSDUHQWO\ WKH RSHUDWRUV RI PRVW VPDOO ³WRXULVP  GHVFULEHQHWZRUNVDVµWLJKW¶RUµORRVH¶DFFRUGLQJ shops” hold a similar worldview:ennobling work in to the quantity (number), quality (intensity) and type tourism is seen as a life-style, and they lean toward of the interactions or links involved. More recently, a more conservative business approach wherein /DUVRQ   KDV H[DPLQHG QHWZRUNV WKURXJK WKH ELJJHULVQRWQHFHVVDULO\EHWWHU 6XQGERHWDO  OHQVRID³SROLWLFDOPDUNHWVTXDUH´ZLWKGLIIHUHQFHV In the traditional guise of growth-oriented destination in access, interaction and change dynamics producing management effort, theselifestyle enterprisesare a different network forms, metaphorically described as drag on innovation and growth; however, in taking WKHWXPXOWXRXV³-XQJOH´WKHG\PDQLF³3DUN´RUDV a worldview akin to the alternative economic WKHLQVWLWXWLRQDOLVHG³*DUGHQ´1RWDEO\FROODERUDWLYH philosophy of Schumacher, these small, lifestyle- networks have certain characteristics that distinguish RULHQWHG ³DUWLVDQDO WRXULVP VKRSV´ 6XQGER HW them from other networked forms (Innes & Booher DO  PD\ LQ IDFW OLJKW WKH ZD\ WRZDUG PRUH .HDVWHWDO  sustainable destinations. Pointedly, suitable network strategies may provide a way for destination Collaboration is a process that enables independent PDQDJHUVWRHQJDJHWKHVHVPDOO¿UPVLQGHVWLQDWLRQ individuals, organisations and sectors to combine development, and thus ‘steer’ destinations along their human and material resources in ways that allow desirable development trajectories; trajectoriesthat them to accomplish objectives that they are not able strengthen both the economic performance of the WR DFKLHYH DORQH +LPPHOPDQ+X[KDP  destination and the sustainability that must go hand- .DQWHU   RU WKURXJK ZRUNLQJ WRJHWKHU LQ OHVV ISSN No. 2349-7394

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Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2016

Tourism Dimensions (Bi-Annual)

FRQQHFWHG ZD\V .HDVW  %URZQ .HDVW HW DO  ,QFROODERUDWLYHQHWZRUNVPHPEHUVSHUFHLYH the need for collective commitment to change; theyrealize that they have a common problem and ³FDQQRWPHHWWKHLULQWHUHVWVZRUNLQJDORQH´ ,QQHV  %RRKHU $V/DUVRQDQG*\LPyWK\  GHVFULEH ³&ROODERUDWLYH SDUWQHUVKLSV SURYLGH WKH foundation for service delivery systems that work together to leverage resources and accomplish common goals”. So in collaborative networks WKH DFWRUV IRFXV ³RQ LQYHQWLQJ VWUDWHJ\ WR FKDQJH a broad array of interlinked activities” (Innes & %RRKHU   QHJRWLDWLRQV ZRUN WRZDUGV ³QHZ FROOHFWLYHYDOXH´ LELG  DQG PHPEHUV VHHN ³PXWXDO gain solutions that…enlarge the pie for all” (Innes & %RRKHU 

with such understanding the destination manager can craft suitable network goals, and more effectively manage network relationships to build commitment to the collective goals.Here, following Munksgaard   RXU DWWHQWLRQ UHVWV RQ DQDO\VLQJ DFWRUV¶ individual goals, and evaluating alignment between individual and collective goals.

Methodology The study follows the paradigmatic tradition of LQWHUSUHWLYHVRFLDOVFLHQFHVUHVHDUFK -HQQLQJV  RQWRORJLFDOO\WKHZRUOGYLHZ +HURQ 5HDVRQ  LV UHODWLYLVW WKH HSLVWHPRORJLFDO VWDQGSRLQW ³WKH WKHRU\ RI NQRZOHGJH MXVWL¿FDWLRQ´ $XGL [LLL  LVVXEMHFWLYLVWDQGWKHPHWKRGRORJ\³WKHVWUDWHJ\E\ which the ontological and epistemological principles DUH WUDQVODWHG´ 6DUDQWDNRV   LV YLD FDVH study and comparative case analysis. A hermeneuticdialectic methodology aims to produce as informed and sophisticated a (re)construction(s) as possible; DV *XED   H[SODLQV ³LQGLYLGXDO FRQVWUXFWLRQV DUH HOLFLWHG DQG UH¿QHG KHUPHQHXWLFDOO\ DQG compared and contrasted dialectically, with the aim of generating one (or a few) constructions on which WKHUHLVVXEVWDQWLDOFRQVHQVXV´  &DVHVWXG\ enables deep insight into a phenomenon in context and is appropriate for gaining deep understanding RI XQLTXH SKHQRPHQRQ LQ'DQLVK@ZLWK5HVWDXUDQW&KHIDW³(QELGDI6¡QGHUM\OODQG´ $ ELWHRI6RXWKHUQ-XWODQG KHOGDW*UDP&DVWOHRQWK0DUFK ,QWHUYLHZHH  5HFRUGHG,QWHUYLHZ>LQ'DQLVK@ZLWK5HVWDXUDQW&KHIDW³(QELGDI6¡QGHUM\OODQG´ $ ELWHRI6RXWKHUQ-XWODQG KHOGDW*UDP&DVWOHRQWK0DUFK ,QWHUYLHZHH  5HFRUGHG,QWHUYLHZ>LQ'DQLVK@ZLWK7UDLQHH,QQ&KHIDW³(QELGDI6¡QGHUM\OODQG´ $ ELWHRI6RXWKHUQ-XWODQG KHOGDW*UDP&DVWOHRQWK0DUFK ,QWHUYLHZHH  5HFRUGHG,QWHUYLHZ>LQ'DQLVK@ZLWK&DWHULQJ&KHIDW³(QELGDI6¡QGHUM\OODQG´ $ELWH RI6RXWKHUQ-XWODQG KHOGDW*UDP&DVWOHRQWK0DUFK ,QWHUYLHZHH    5HFRUGHG ,QWHUYLHZ >LQ (QJOLVK@ ZLWK )RRG 1HWZRUN &RRUGLQDWRU DW ³(Q ELG DI 6¡QGHUM\OODQG´ $ELWHRI6RXWKHUQ-XWODQG KHOGDW*UDP&DVWOHRQWK0DUFK ,YHU\-0  3DUWQHUVKLSVLQ7UDQVLWLRQ0DQDJLQJ2UJDQL]DWLRQDODQG&ROODERUDWLYH&KDQJH-RXUQDORI +XPDQ%HKDYLRULQWKH6RFLDO(QYLURQPHQW  GRL -HQQLQJV * 5   7KHRUHWLFDO 3DUDGLJPV 8QGHUSLQQLQJ 7RXULVP 5HVHDUFK QG HG  %ULVEDQH -RKQ Wiley and Sons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yWK\ 6   &ROODERUDWLRQ GH¿FLHQFLHV LQ PHHWLQJ QHWZRUNV FDVH VWXGLHV RI WZR SHULXUEDQ GHVWLQDWLRQV -RXUQDO RI 3ROLF\ 5HVHDUFK LQ 7RXULVP /HLVXUH DQG (YHQWV     GRL  ISSN No. 2349-7394

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Vol. 3, Issue 1, January 2016

Tourism Dimensions (Bi-Annual)

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