Collaborative Networks in Tourism Innovation, and the Incorporation of Creative Genius Methods - A Study of Nature Interpretation and Outdoor Experience Tourism on Bornholm

Meaker, Elyse Nightingale

4. term

Tourism, Master

2018

64

Mange studier beskriver innovation i turismen som svag og usystematisk. I denne afhandling viser jeg, at der faktisk foregår innovation i samarbejdsnetværk – grupper af aktører, der arbejder sammen – inden for natur- og outdoor-turisme på Bornholm. Netværkene er dog mest orienteret mod udnyttelse, dvs. at forfine og skalere det, der allerede virker. De er dygtige til dette, men uden også at give plads til udforskning – at afprøve nye ideer og inddrage ukendt viden – risikerer de at miste konkurrenceevne. Jeg undersøger, hvordan Creative Genius-metoder kan indarbejdes i turismens praksis, så netværk inden for naturformidling og outdoor-oplevelser bliver mere kreative og udforskende uden at forstyrre de nuværende processer. Konkret stiller jeg spørgsmålet: Hvordan kan Creative Genius-metoder bruges i turismekonteksten til at hjælpe netværk med at blive mere kreative og udforskende og dermed bevare deres konkurrenceevne? For at besvare dette analyserede jeg fem interviews for at kortlægge netværkenes kendetegn, barrierer og drivkræfter samt deres samarbejdsformer. Jeg gennemførte en potentialeanalyse for at finde, hvor og hvordan Creative Genius-metoder kan integreres, og jeg foreslår en analytisk ramme. Rammen viser, hvordan innovation i dag foregår i natur- og outdoor-turismen på Bornholm, og hvordan faserne i Creative Platform passer sammen med netværkenes eksisterende innovationsprocesser. Hvis platformen kobles på ved eller før idéfasen, kan deltagerne hente mere mangfoldig viden fra kilder uden for netværkene og ud over deres eget faglige område. Det vil naturligt tilføre en udforskningsfase til processer, der i dag er tunge på udnyttelse, og føre til flere nye, originale ideer og løsninger på produkter og udfordringer – til gavn for destinationens konkurrenceevne.

Many studies portray innovation in tourism as weak and unsystematic. In this thesis, I show that innovation is in fact taking place within collaborative networks—groups of actors who work together—in nature and outdoor tourism on Bornholm. However, these networks mainly focus on exploitation, meaning they refine and scale what already works. They do this well, but without also making space for exploration—testing new ideas and bringing in unfamiliar knowledge—they risk losing competitiveness. I examine how Creative Genius methods can be built into tourism practice so that networks involved in nature interpretation and outdoor experiences become more creative and explorative without disrupting current processes. Specifically, I ask: How can Creative Genius methods be used in the tourism context to help networks become more creative and explorative and thereby maintain their competitiveness? To answer this, I analyzed five interviews to map network characteristics, barriers and enablers, and how collaboration currently works. I conducted a potentiality analysis to identify where and how Creative Genius methods could be incorporated, and I propose an analytical framework. The framework shows how innovation currently unfolds in nature and outdoor tourism networks on Bornholm, and how the stages of the Creative Platform align with existing innovation processes. Introducing the platform at or before the idea stage would allow participants to draw on more diverse knowledge from outside the networks and beyond their usual expertise. This would naturally add an exploration phase to processes that are now heavy on exploitation, leading to more new, original and creative ideas and solutions for products and challenges, and helping the destination remain competitive.

[This abstract was generated with the help of AI]

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