Online networking behaviour of tourism stakeholders in a multi-destination region: A hyperlink network analysis (original) (raw)
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Social network participation and coverage by tourism industry sector
Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 2015
Although identified as an emerging scientific paradigm, social network research has yet to be developed fully in tourism studies. Social network theory focuses on the ties between actors within a particular network. An individual can influence his or her success through the structure, extent and diversity of their network. Within the tourism industry, the study of social networks can be used to enhance understanding of the interactions that take place within, or among businesses, by examining the formal and informal connections linking them together. This study examined involvement or membership in associations (networks) of five key tourism industry segments in a thriving tourism region along participation and coverage dimensions. The results showed that tourism sectors participate differently in social networks. Specifically, the hotel and lodging sector participates in a greater number and covers more types of networks than the retail/shopping sector.
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Collaboration in tourism is widely perceived as a solution for achieving success and for ensuring sustainability in tourist destinations. However, collaboration is a complex and dynamic process, and although there is a growing interest in understanding its mechanisms, much remains unexplored on the matter. The aim of this paper is to operationalise a network approach in analysing characteristics of collaboration in tourism and then to reveal structural weaknesses and strengths from a destination management perspective. The background for analysis is a well-known tourist destination in Romania (Vatra Dornei) that can be considered illustrative for a large spectrum of Eastern European destinations. Methodologically, Social Network Analysis (SNA) techniques were employed, centred on matters related to density and centrality of the tourism network. The results reveal a series of deficiencies inside the network, which have to be addressed by policymakers: (i) a general low level of collaboration; (ii) poor communication between public and private sectors; (iii) a reduced number of central stakeholders but high diversity regarding their fields of activity. The study contributes to the literature by advancing knowledge on particularities of collaboration among tourism stakeholders, while also adding evidence to the utility of SNA in understanding relational dynamics specific to tourism destinations.
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Physica A-statistical Mechanics and Its Applications, 2009
Tourism destination networks are amongst the most complex dynamical systems, involving a myriad of human-made and natural resources. In this work we report a complex network-based systematic analysis of the Elba (Italy) tourism destination network, including the characterization of its structure in terms of a set of several traditional measurements, the investigation of its modularity, as well as its comprehensive study in terms of the recently reported superedges approach. In particular, structural (the number of paths of distinct lengths between pairs of nodes, as well as the number of reachable companies) and dynamical features (transition probabilities and the inward/outward activations and accessibilities) are measured and analyzed, leading to a series of important findings related to the interactions between tourism companies. Among the several reported results, it is shown that the type and size of the companies influence strongly their respective activations and accessibilities, while their geographical position does not seem to matter. It is also shown that the Elba tourism network is largely fragmented and heterogeneous, so that it could benefit from increased integration.
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Tourism Analysis, 2013
Previous destination marketing and management literature has focused on the importance of establishing effective relationships between the various tourism organizations (both private and public) involved in a tourism offer, in order to improve the competitiveness of a destination. However, very few works examine tourism destinations from a network perspective. Networks can be analyzed from either a relationship or a structural perspective. The aim of the present article is to adopt both of these perspectives to assess the different relationships that exist between tourism stakeholders (both private and public) within a specific Italian 3S tourism destination: Costa Smeralda-Gallura in the North-East of the island of Sardinia. Data were gathered from destination management organization (DMO) internal documents, local press, and through a questionnaire completed by a number of tourism organizations chosen from a list provided by the DMO, which at the time was the public body instructe...
Tatiana David‑Negre, Arminda Almedida‑Santana, Juan M. Hernández, Sergio Moreno‑Gil. Understanding European tourists’ use of e‑tourism platforms. Analysis of networks. Information Technology & Tourism. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40558-018-0113-z This paper analyses the use of the main e-tourism platforms by European tourists. A computer-aided Web interview (CAWI) was used to conduct the research in 19 European countries: Germany, and the United Kingdom. The final sample consisted of 13,243 tourists. Through the methodology of Social Network Analysis (SNA), the study focuses on detecting key network players (social media, OTAs, etc.) in the e-tourism ecosystem. The network analysis reveals the structural characteristics of the network of networks in the European e-tourism ecosystem: number of platforms (473), centrality degree and betweenness, and the specific characteristics of the networks by country. The results show an e-tourism network of platforms following a pattern known as core-periphery. Four platforms show a predominant role: Facebook, TripAdvisor, Google, and Booking. These 'big four' ego-networks are graphically represented to better understand the e-tourism network. The results also show that different networks are formed by country according to the use of e-tourism platforms. This study helps understand in a novel way the behaviour of Euro-pean tourists when using e-tourism platforms to choose their travel destination. The results obtained are useful for companies and Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), understanding how e-tourism platforms are connected in order to design their segmentation and promotion strategy through e-tourism platforms in the Euro-pean market.
Journal of Destination Marketing & Management, 2017
Tourism destinations are complex systems of interrelated entities without a hierarchical chain of command. In order to enhance the ability of destinations to create a high quality, authentic tourism experience, a management perspective based on networks, personal relationships, trust, and reciprocity is suggested. However, while theoretically this 'network approach' represents a promising way of making the tourism industry more innovative and competitive, few convincing empirical examples have so far been published on how tourism networks can be successfully managed. This paper focuses on the gap between theory and practice. After summarizing the literature on network management in tourism, in-depth interviews with 12 network managers in Flanders (Belgium) give insights on how networks are currently managed, as well as how and why network managers choose their priorities. The main conclusion is that while all interviewed network managers claimed that they had adopted a 'network approach', most of them still spent most of their time and energy on traditional power-related tasks, such as the top-down provision of information, lobbying, and representing the network towards external stakeholders. Trust-related activities, such as actively pursuing member collaboration, member engagement, and facilitating proximity and partnerships with and between (potential) network members were only applied by a small minority. Network managers who actively strengthened the network structure through trust-related management activities indicated more often that their networks were resilient to external pressure. This highlights the importance for network managers of making pragmatic trade-offs between various management approaches. This might need further professionalization of the sector, including targeted training and (postgraduate) education.