INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT IN
REGIONAL TOURISM
ENTERPRISES
Zbigniew Zontek
Univerity of Bielsko-Biala, Poland
ToSEE - Tourism in South East Europe
3rd International Scientific Conference
Sustainable Tourism, Economic Development and Quality of Life
University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija
INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT IN REGIONAL TOURISM
ENTERPRISES
The core of the innovation is putting the novelty into a practice, which comes down
to the offering of a new product or service on the market. Or, in relation to a new
process, organization or marketing methods, to their usage in the current activity of
a business. (Oslo Manual)
Innovation can be analysed from two points of view:
• narrow - Innovation strictly refers to a deep change in production methods and
products, based on new, unused knowledge, and/or the first trade introduction
(application) of a new product, service, process or equipment
• broad (sensu largo), corresponds to change in an organization's activity, and that
means the assimilation of existed knowledge (diffusion of innovation)
ToSEE - Tourism in South East Europe
3rd International Scientific Conference
Sustainable Tourism, Economic Development and Quality of Life
University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija
INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT IN REGIONAL TOURISM
ENTERPRISES
There are several main types of innovation in tourism:
• product innovations - result is the rise of innovative products (tourism services),
• managerial and procedural innovations, improving of the processes of tourism
services, new models of management in tourism companies and entities,
• information innovations – used in the new promotional channels, new information
system within tourism region,
• institutional innovations – new forms of support of tourismm enterprises, new
form of co-operation (clusters);
• other forms of innovation (logistics, ecological, cultural, etc.)
(A.-M. Hjalager, „A Review of Innovation Research in Tourism”, Tourism Management
No. 3, 2010).
ToSEE - Tourism in South East Europe
3rd International Scientific Conference
Sustainable Tourism, Economic Development and Quality of Life
University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija
INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT IN REGIONAL TOURISM
ENTERPRISES
Sources of innovation can be divided into two main groups:
Internal sources (endogenous) – the origin of sources is in an organization,
innovations can be a result of the research and internal knowledge.
External sources (exogenous) – sources of innovation come from the environment
(e.g.: demographic factors, changes in customers perception, new standards, values,
knowledge).
ToSEE - Tourism in South East Europe
3rd International Scientific Conference
Sustainable Tourism, Economic Development and Quality of Life
University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija
INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT IN REGIONAL TOURISM
ENTERPRISES
This primary research was conducted from November 2012 to February 2013. The
winter period creates increased tourism activity in the region studied.
The area of the research was a mountain area, situated within the administrative
boundaries of the Silesia Province. In other studies the area is called: the Southern
Sub-region of the Silesia Province or Bielsko Sub-region.
There are concentrations of tourism enterprises and other organizations which
provide tourism services, that have had an impact on the choice of the region of
research.
ToSEE - Tourism in South East Europe
3rd International Scientific Conference
Sustainable Tourism, Economic Development and Quality of Life
University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija
INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT IN REGIONAL TOURISM
ENTERPRISES
The results are the author's own empirical research, conducted through a survey
questionnaire.
The study was conducted on a random sample of tourism enterprises and entities.
The representative research was based on tele - address lists, from which units were
randomly selected for the research.
191 tourism subjects were involved in the survey, which represented 29.4% of the
population. In the course of this research, 121 well completed questionnaires were
received, that was 63.4% of the research sample.
62.8% of the researched subjects implemented innovations in the period of 3 years
before the research study.
ToSEE - Tourism in South East Europe
3rd International Scientific Conference
Sustainable Tourism, Economic Development and Quality of Life
University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija
INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT IN REGIONAL TOURISM
ENTERPRISES
The aim of the study was to identify:
- sources of innovation,
- effects of the implemented innovative solutions,
- directions of innovation development,
- Barriers to innovation .
Research hypothesis: The possibility of creating innovation in tourism, and its
implementation, is dependent on the internal preferences of companies and external
factors. The relative strength of the impact of these factors varies.
ToSEE - Tourism in South East Europe
3rd International Scientific Conference
Sustainable Tourism, Economic Development and Quality of Life
University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija
Sources of innovation in researched tourism enterprises
Customers' comments, suggestions
Willingness to take advantage of external funds
Observing other domestic tourism enterprises
Cooperation with institutions supporting the raising of funds
Observing foreign tourism enterprises
Information available in scientific and sectorial studies
Comments received from inhabitants of the region
Efficient human resources management
Participation in conferences, professional meetings, fairs
Cooperation with business partners with a similar business profile
Cooperation in the local area network (clusters)
Acquisition of patents, licenses, including leasing, franchising
Cooperation with local and regional public or non-governmental
institutions
Showing best practices by tourism entities
Cooperation with the science sector
Other sources of innovation
%
86.8%
68.4%
55.3%
48.7%
39.5%
38.2%
35.5%
31.6%
31.6%
27.6%
22.4%
22.4%
21.1%
13.2%
11.8%
2.6%
Effects of implemented innovations
0%
growth of customer satisfaction
increase of opportunities for development
streamlining of labour
standing out from the competitors
increase in selling services
10%
growth of human resources involvement
0.0%
reducing prices for services
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
86.8%
13.2%
68.4%
31.6%
65.8%
34.2%
0.0%
64.5%
34.2%
1.3%
Yes
15.8%
53.9%
30.3%
39.5%
0.0%
36.8%
35.5%
14.5%
18.4%
1.3%
9.2%
No
Not applicable
60.5%
63.2%
0.0%
1.3%
100%
94.7%
0.0%
access to international sales network
growth of the prices of services
30%
3.9%
1.3%
access to new markets
complex improvement of functioning.
20%
50.0%
80.3%
89.5%
ToSEE - Tourism in South East Europe
3rd International Scientific Conference
Sustainable Tourism, Economic Development and Quality of Life
University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija
Internal barriers to innovation
6.6%
9.1%
lack of discerning benefits from
introducing innovations
8.3%
13.2%
11.6%
fear that other enterpriese may take
advantage of my innovations
fear of financial costs of innovations
the technical barriers (limited access
to new technologies, problem
related to the location, etc.)
lack of adequate human resources
48.8%
failure in the implementation of
earlier innovations
External barriers to innovation
9.9%
5.0%1.7%
11.6%
23.1%
25.6%
23.1%
lack of mechanisms for exchange of experiences
lack of cooperation with other entities of tourist services market
the mentality of entrepreneurs, which does not help the cooperation
the mentality of the representatives of local, regional, national governments,
which doesn’t help the cooperation
exaggerated bureaucracy in raising funds
problems in finding investors
restrictions that resulted from environmental preservation (e.g. Nature 2000)
ToSEE - Tourism in South East Europe
3rd International Scientific Conference
Sustainable Tourism, Economic Development and Quality of Life
University of Rijeka, Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management Opatija
INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT IN REGIONAL TOURISM
ENTERPRISES
Conclusions:
• The hypothesis established in the introduction is confirmed, subject to some
limitations.
• The results show that there are many sources of innovation in tourism
enterprises, but respondents draw attention especially to the external sources.
• The possibility of creating innovation in tourism is dependent on the internal predispositions of companies but managers do not fully recognize the meaning of
human resources in innovation processes.
• There are many barriers to innovation. The largest of them is the fear of financial
costs of innovation and the mentality that disturb cooperation processes.
Thank you for your attention!
Zbigniew Zontek
University of Bielsko-Biala
E-mail: zzontek.ath@gmail.com