Co-evoluzione tra la destinazione turistica e le imprese turistiche

The aim of this paper is to establish whether a tourist destination and the tourist enterprises that belong to it can be shown to have a co-evolution relationship. The paper is the result of previous research on our part on the topic of destination management and destination governance. The research question on which the paper is based is the following: in the field of national tourism are there models of tourist hospitality that are devised as examples of co-evolution between the destination and the territory? In the present progressively complex situation, tourist enterprises are finding themselves increasingly involved with tourists (both Italian and foreign) who are concerned with the quality of their leisure time dedicated to tourism and who are interested in discovering the authenticity of the territory they visit. This need to satisfy widely diverse requirements has led to the creation and development of special business formulas that are sustainable and compatible with the evolving demand from tourists. To monitor and manage these emerging trends, an analysis of the governance and management problems of both the destination and the enterprise is required.In the paper, we find that the most appropriate standpoint to adopt for such an analysis is a co-evolution one, where the tourist enterprises evolve in conjunction with the destination in finding long-term competitive advantages, and where the enterprises are seen as vital resources for the development of the territory, and viceversa.This co-evolution presupposes the existence of a government body capable of appraising the resources and systems available in the territory and stimulating the organisational behaviour of the tourist enterprises concerned. The absence of case studies is a limitation here. Consequently, as a subject of future research we intend to continue with the proposed analysis, augmented by evidence from empirical studies which we feel would be a useful addition to the dialogue on the subject and because of the subsequent implications for managers and enterprises.

Keywords: Co-evolution, entrepreneurship, sustainable development, destination governance and destination management, network, competitive advantage

Marco Valeri, Leslie Fadlon, Co-evoluzione tra la destinazione turistica e le imprese turistiche in "ECONOMIA E DIRITTO DEL TERZIARIO" 2/2017, pp , DOI: 10.3280/edt2-2017oa5463