From Local Tourism Promotion
towards Regional Cluster Policies
The Top of Denmark WP 6 Case Study
1. Clusters, tourism, and public policy
2. Case study: Destination Top of Denmark
3. Reflections on methods
Henrik Halkier & Pennie F. Henriksen
Aalborg University, Denmark
halkier@ihis.aau.dk, pennie@ihis.aau.dk
CLUSTERS, TOURISM, AND
PUBLIC POLICY
General cluster characteristics
• inter-dependent firms
• cooperative competition, trust-based relations
• 'community' with public policy support
Tourism clusters?
• frequent key role of external firms
• free-riding widespread
• unstable SMEs hindering building of trust
• limited public intervention
CLUSTERS, TOURISM, AND
PUBLIC POLICY
Tourism policies
• traditional emphasis on local information and external
promotion
• gradual increase of product development and branding
Key challenges for destination developemnt
• Localism
– economies of geographical scale >< ingrained exposure
• Short-termism
– selective change >< comprehensive continuity
DESTINATION
TOP OF DENMARK
The Tourism Experience
•
•
•
250 km of coastline and sandy beaches
climate varies depend on season
small enterprises, holiday homes and camping
Institutional context
•
from nine to three municipalities
Destination development phases
•
•
•
Emergence (1986-1996): Tourism associations
and municipalities start collaborating
Professionalisation (1996-2006): More effective
market communication
Redevelopment 2007- 2015: Creating an all-year
tourism destination
DESTINATION TOP OF DENMARK
Developing a decentralised network
Organisation
Emergence
Why?
The Foundation Top
of Denmark (FTOD)
(tourism association
network)
The DMO Top of
Denmark
Reservation System
Service
Coordinated
marketing, based
on local product
knowledge
(FTOD and
municipalities)
Redevelopment
The DMO Top of
Denmark
(FTOD and
municipalities)
What?
Marketing
Prolonging of season
Product development
Networking within
sector
Develop product
on the basis of
market intelligence
and extended local
product knowledge
All-year tourism
Networking outside
traditional tourism
sector
DESTINATION TOP OF DENMARK
Developing a decentralised network
Organisational change
• from fragmentation towards centralising network
Funding change
• external opportunities/demands
• gradual widening of resource base
Gradual strategy development
• from service optimisation via joint marketing
• towards product development initiatives
DESTINATION TOP OF DENMARK
Knowledge and networking / 1
EMERGENCE PHASE
Policy
initiatives
Actors
Knowledge processes
Reservation
System
Central
Use existing coordination experience
Marketing
Local
Product
development
Networking
within sector
Interactions regional/(national)
Produce knowledge of local experiences
Interactions local/regional
Joint
Produce network interaction rules
Transformation/contextualisation
DESTINATION TOP OF DENMARK
Knowledge and networking / 2
RE-DEVELOPMENT PHASE
Policy
initiatives
All-year
tourism
Networking
outside
traditional
tourism
sector
Actors
Central
Knowledge processes
Use product development experience
Produce market analysis
Interactions regional/national
Export/impact on national initiatives
Local
Produce knowledge of local experiences
Interactions local/regional
Joint
Adjust network interaction rules
Transformation/contextualisation
DESTINATION TOP OF DENMARK
Knowledge and networking / 3
DESTINATION TOP OF DENMARK
Knowledge and networking / 4
Some conclusions relating to EURODITE hypotheses
• intra/extra-regional combination important (intra
dominating in 3 cases)
• importance of knowledge about knowledge (limited in
cock-up case)
• importance of KIBS, but not always network ‘spanners’
• importance of tacit localised knowledge (mobilisation key
in 3 cases)
REFLECTIONS ON
METHODS
Practical points
• difficult to distinguish between who/where etc -> repetitive text
• flexible distinction between phases -> difficult to compare
Added value
• sufficiently comprehensive to generate ‘thick questioning’
• possible to relate to EURODITE hypotheses
Pending issues issues
• difficult to conclude prior to cross-case analyses have been undertaken
• comprehensively different?