Agrotourism as an Opportunity to Enhance the Development and Competitiveness of Rural Areas

Rural tourism increases income sources for rural residents, reduces rural population outflow, and preserves cultural traditions. This chapter considers development of agrotourism in a rural region like the Omsk region, and agrotourism potential of each Omsk district is assessed. To assess the agrotourism potential, integral and rating indicators were calculated using secondary data and the assessment of 40 experts. The analysis allowed a rating of Omsk's municipal districts. Based on the results, the Southern forest-steppe zone has the highest potential for the development of agrotourism. Several other districts present good conditions to increase the potential of agrotourism development. Some districts are distinct, but conditions for the development of agrotourism exist in all areas of the Omsk region.

Tourist Shopping and Omnichanneling

In recent years new technologies have increased access to information and, as a result, many channels can be used in an integrated and combined way. Omnichannel strategies have emerged in shopping which allow consumers to have integrative and holistic experiences. This trend, in addition to its influence on the general consumer, has implications for tourists who can take advantage of different channels in their costumer journeys through adopting omnichannel behaviors. Due to the importance of omnichanneling and tourist shopping, and the fact that no studies examine them in conjunction, this theoretical chapter aims to launch this research line; future research lines are presented to improve the retail sector and tourists' shopping experiences.

Critical and Inhibiting Success Factors in Interorganizational Networks

This chapter, based on a single case study, has as its main objective to analyze a real example of creating an inter-organizational network and to perceive what was done for the selection and creation of the strategic partnerships and inter-organizational network and what factors or conditions can inhibit these partnerships from having long-term success and throughout its life cycle. For this, a qualitative study based on action research and semi-structured interviews was conducted. Results show although many companies settle in inter-organizational networks to gain competitive advantage, cases of failure are still quite high. In this case, upstream partnerships have not been based on long-term trust and commitment, which has jeopardized the continuity of the network, although there is an express desire to re-establish contacts. The partnership established downstream did not show the same commitment to continue the partnership with a total termination of the relationship.

Achieving a Competitive Management in Micro and Small Independent Hotels

The lodging industry is a crucial contributor to global tourism revenues in many countries. A significant part of hotel revenues comes from micro and small hotel companies not belonging to global brands. The aim of this chapter is to propose new tools – based on USALI and on the most relevant operating ratios – to support the management of micro and small hotels that are not integrated into hotel chains. The methodology starts with literature review, which allowed to point out some USALI schedules that are not being used, a lot of items of USALI schedules without relevance and a set of operating ratios and indicators highlighted by researchers and professionals. The first result consists in the proposal of seven simplified hospitality management accounting schedules (revenue and cost items). The second result is an operating scorecard that includes the ratios and indicators useful for micro and small independent hotels.

Heritage as a Source of Competitive Advantage

Heritage tourism, as one of the most relevant market niches in the tourism sector, plays a key role in furthering the competitiveness of destinations in general. The relationship between cultural heritage and tourism development has received an increasing amount of attention by academia, owing to the persistent efforts of the DMOs to incorporate heritage resources in tourism plans. This chapter explores the potential impact of heritage tourism in the development of tourism products to increase overall competitiveness based on new combinations of heritage resources and traditional competitive advantages of the tourism sector. To this end, the chapter examines data pertaining to respondents hosted in one of the Quintas da Madeira. Findings suggest initiatives to increase the cultural component of the tourism experience to reinforce the capacity to transform heritage and culture in competitive products.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Tourism E-Businesses

The emergence of social networks has revolutionized the way people communicate and share information. Consequently, it becomes important to analyze the role of these models of collaboration and innovation through social networks in the strategic vision of the responsibility of marketing and communication in tourism industries, mainly the role of Facebook in e-business actions. This chapter presents a qualitative and exploratory analysis of the individuals in the virtual context of the social media, their behaviors, reactions, and attitudes, to perceive which social factors can enhance the appearance of competitive advantages for the organizations. There was a predilection for companies with a greater international connection at the level of clients and also at the level of the operation because there was a predominance of companies related to the tourism sector of Madeira.

Introduction to the Multilevel Approach to Competitiveness in the Global Tourism Industry

The search for understanding the multilevel approach to competitiveness in the global tourism industry has led to a separation of approaches such as the characteristics of the general and competitive environment. The globalization, the companies' transformation, the emergence of the digital company, and the evolution of the tourism and hospitality industry represent four powerful drivers of change modifying business environments worldwide (Laudon & Laudon, 2007; Salem, 2014). In a world increasingly influenced by globalization, broad markets make it difficult for companies to cope with rapid change and increasing competition using only their skills, capabilities, and resources. As such, it is crucial to establish long-term relationships with other organizations, thus entering networks to help cope with any gaps or difficulties encountered in the markets.

Tourism Policies and the Investment Dynamics of Micro-Level Firms

The economic, social, and political significance of the tourism sector is unquestionable. Its expression and ability to induce economic development, are increasingly important. However, the tourism sector faces a number of structural problems to be solved. Cases of excessive spatial concentration in certain areas of the territory present different dynamics of tourism growth and development. This chapter analyzes how the investment dynamics of small and micro-sized enterprises in the tourism sector contribute to the qualification, diversification, and improvement of destinations, and reduce the spatial concentration of the investment in major tourist destinations. It is not enough for the tourism sector to create wealth in terms of investment, income, and employment. It is also crucial the sector plays a central role in qualifying, diversifying, and improving the quality of supply.

Psychological Wellbeing as a Creative Resource for Businesses in the Tourism Industry

This chapter probes the relevance of adopting a multidisciplinary view to better understand tourism. It focuses on psychology applied to this industry and particularly, psychological wellbeing as a key factor for the competitiveness of the field. Authors discuss the rise of the experience economy; aligning of psychology and tourism to further create knowledge; and wellbeing in tourism. A case study, The Tourist Wellbeing Project, gives hope for future multidisciplinary endeavors. Uniting efforts from different areas increases the chance to innovate and develop creative products, and psychological wellbeing has great potential as a nontangible product to improve the tourism experience.

How Can Marketing Intelligence Support Tourism Companies to Increase Their Competitiveness?

In a constant evolution of the global economic sector over the past 50 years, conditions to create more job opportunities and offer business services have remained timeless in many respects but subject to significant change as well. Tourism as an international industry and as the biggest provider of jobs on the planet boasts a greater array of heterogeneous stakeholders than many other industries. It is necessary to utilize all available information resources to make decisions, especially in the age of agglomerate economies. And further attention should be given towards understanding how marketing intelligence can support tourism companies to increase their competitiveness. This chapter was developed in two phases: (1) identification and (2) analysis. A literature review was made through the electronic database Scopus.