The document discusses the characteristics of tourism as a place-oriented activity. Tourism destinations are multi-product areas that attract multi-segment markets. Local resources are essential to differentiate destinations but are sensitive to overuse. Innovation in tourism services has occurred through technologies like computer reservations systems and is increasingly knowledge-based. Tourism clusters involve many activities across accommodation, food, transportation, culture and more. Smart specialization in tourism faces challenges in combining tacit local knowledge with academic expertise.

1. Tourism
and
Smart
Specialisa2on
João
Romão

2. Tourism
and
Smart
Specialisa2on
João
Romão
VU
Amsterdam
/
University
of
Algarve
S3
Pla'orm
-­‐
Peer
Review
Workshop
Faro
July
2013
1. CharacterisAcs
of
Tourism,
a
place
oriented
acAvity
Tourism
des2na2ons
are
mulAproduct
areas
for
mulA-­‐segment
markets,
with
mul2-­‐clients
from
mul2-­‐origins
and
their
mul2-­‐mo2va2ons.
Tourism
services
are
provided
by
a
large
number
of
companies
but
tourists
perceive
des2na2ons
as
an
integrated
experience.
The
overall
experience
does
not
rely
only
in
the
products
and
services
but
also
on
the
environment
and
community
where
the
visit
occurs.
Tourists
have
different
percepAons
about
the
authen2city
of
the
des2na2ons
and
saAsfacAon
also
depends
on
their
characterisAcs,
expecta2ons
and
mo2va2ons.
The
heterogeneity
of
contemporary
tourism
des2na2ons
(differenAaAon)
is
accomplished
by
the
heterogeneity
of
tourist
preferences
(segmentaAon).

3. Tourism
and
Smart
Specialisa2on
João
Romão
VU
Amsterdam
/
University
of
Algarve
S3
Pla'orm
-­‐
Peer
Review
Workshop
Faro
July
2013
1. CharacterisAcs
of
Tourism,
a
place
oriented
acAvity
Local
specific
resources
(nature
or
culture)
are
essen2al
to
differen2ate
des2na2ons
but
they
are
generally
very
sensi2ve
to
the
excess
of
usage.
Excess
of
usage
and
commodificaAon
of
local
resources
can
contribute
to
develop
hos2le
behaviors
from
local
communiAes
regarding
tourism
development.
Involvement
of
local
communiAes
in
tourism
tourism
development
plans
contributes
to
ensure
local
social
cohesion.
Contemporary
societal
challenges
(energy
consump2on,
limited
resources,
climate
change)
have
deep
implica2ons
on
sustainable
tourism
development.

4. Tourism
and
Smart
Specialisa2on
João
Romão
VU
Amsterdam
/
University
of
Algarve
S3
Pla'orm
-­‐
Peer
Review
Workshop
Faro
July
2013
2.
InnovaAon
in
Tourism
Services
Tourism
is
an
increasingly
knowledge
based
ac2vity
where
innovaAons
have
a
global
diffusion.
Computer
Reserva2on
Systems
Global
Distribu2on
Systems
(Massifica2on
of
internet
Geographical
Informa2on
Systems
Infography
and
design
Interac2ve
soNware
solu2ons
Massifica2on
of
mobile
phones
Web
2.0
(social
networks)
Personalized
communica2on
Costumer
Rela2on
Management
Media2sa2on
of
tourism
InteracAon
of
tourism
companies
with
costumers
helps
to
understand
needs
and
mo2va2ons
of
tourists
and
to
reach
specific
targets
with
oriented
and
personalized
informaAon.

5. Tourism
and
Smart
Specialisa2on
João
Romão
VU
Amsterdam
/
University
of
Algarve
S3
Pla'orm
-­‐
Peer
Review
Workshop
Faro
July
2013
2.
InnovaAon
in
Tourism
Services
InteracAon
producer
–
consumer
in
tourism
enhances
entrepreneurial
innovaAon:
-­‐ tacit
knowledge
(requiring
codifica2on
and
adapta2on
to
innova2ve
processes)
-­‐ localised
knowledge
(the
des2na2on
is
a
repository
of
unique
and
inimitable
knowledge)
Interac2on
producers
-­‐
consumers
in
a
territory
(co-­‐terminality,
spaAality
and
temporality)
enhances
the
importance
of
local
and
regional
innovaAon
networks.
Transforma2on
of
tacit
knowledge
into
innova2on
processes
by
SME
requires
exper2se.
Innova2on
in
tourism
relies
on
collabora2ve
networks
(cooperaAon
among
compeAtors).
Poten2al
shared
benefits
arising
from
localised
knowledge
require
the
mobiliza2on
of
stakeholders
with
very
different
characteris2cs
in
order
to
create
networks
for
common
learning.

6. Tourism
and
Smart
Specialisa2on
João
Romão
VU
Amsterdam
/
University
of
Algarve
S3
Pla'orm
-­‐
Peer
Review
Workshop
Faro
July
2013
3.
What
is
the
tourism
cluster
Examples
of
ac2vi2es
and
poten2al
scien2fic
areas
Accommoda2on
Food
and
beverage
Other
facili2es
and
services
Mobility
(ship
building,
soN
modes…)
Energy
Natural
resources
Landscape
Health
Museums
and
Monuments
Cultural
events
Recrea2onal
events
Informa2on
and
communica2on
Communica2on
Promo2on
Governance
Management
Architecture
Engineering
Life
sciences
Landscape
architecture
Biomedicine
Arts,
History,
Archaeology
Anthropology
IC
Engineering
Design
Marke2ng
Economics,
Sociology

7. Tourism
and
Smart
Specialisa2on
João
Romão
VU
Amsterdam
/
University
of
Algarve
S3
Pla'orm
-­‐
Peer
Review
Workshop
Faro
July
2013
4.
Tourism
and
Smart
SpecialisaAon
Overall
view

8. Tourism
and
Smart
Specialisa2on
João
Romão
VU
Amsterdam
/
University
of
Algarve
S3
Pla'orm
-­‐
Peer
Review
Workshop
Faro
July
2013
5.
Tourism
and
Smart
SpecialisaAon
Challenges
How
to
combine
tacit
and
local
entrepreneurial
knowledge
with
academic
knowledge?
How
to
mobilize
small
and
compe22ve
companies
for
collaboraAve
networks?
How
to
develop
a
shared
and
common
vision
combining
different
interests
and
mo2va2ons?
How
to
interact
with
other
clusters?
How
to
iden2fy
relevant
“key
enabling
technologies”
?
Threatens
Tourism
is
a
luxury
ac2vity,
very
dependent
on
economic
cycles;
Reduc2on
in
tourism
demand
can
have
relevant
impacts
on
local
economies;
Lack
of
financial
resources.
Regional
brain-­‐drain
(e.g.
South-­‐European
regions);
Similar
strategies
in
similar
regions
(e.g.
South-­‐European
regions);