Needs, drivers and barriers of innovation: The case of an alpine community-model destination

This study explores tourism destination innovativeness as perceived by leading entrepreneurs in order to derive implications for destination management organizations (DMO). The paper examines the need, drivers and obstacles of innovation as reported by a sample of 37 interviews conducted with tourism entrepreneurs and DMO representatives in Tyrol, Austria. The results demonstrate the importance of cooperation and networking of small and medium enterprises in destinations as well as their openness for external market developments and their knowledge about using information and communication technologies (ICT) in marketing, leading employees and having a strategic orientation. Future research needs to take a closer look at the relationship of structure and innovation. Innovation management in destinations calls for DMOs that focus much more on processes than on structure. These processes link cooperative actions and knowledge transfer and enable not only the development of ideas, but also the commercialization and implementation of innovations.