Tourism Policy and Knowledge Processes in Tourism Development Preliminary Results from a Comparative Study of European Destinations

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Tourism Policy and Knowledge Processes in Tourism
DevelopmentPreliminary Results from
aComparative Study of European Destinations

1. Re-conceptualising tourism policy
2. Tourism policy and knowledge dynamics
   Comparative perspectives
3. Knowledge-based tourism policy strategies

Henrik Halkier, Aalborg University,
halkier_at_ihis.aau.dk
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RE-CONCEPTUALISINGTOURISM POLICY

• Widespread typologies (Fayos-Solá, Hall)
• generational approach
• boosterism, economic, community, sustainable
• multi-dimensional ideal-types
• A certain unease
• not with the sources but with application
• discursive game of labels
• over-looking variation and contradictions

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RE-CONCEPTUALISINGTOURISM POLICY

• Points of departure
• new institutionalism (North)
• network theory (Rhodes)
• discourse analysis (Åkerstrøm Andersen)
• policy analysis (Hogwood, Hood)
• Point of reference
• institutionalist approach to regional policy
• H Halkier Institutions, Discourse and Regional
  Development, Peter Lang 2006

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RE-CONCEPTUALISINGTOURISM POLICY

• Focus on three central relations
• the destination and its political, social,
  economic contexts
• the destination and its destination management
  organisation (DMO)
• the DMO and it targets among firms, workforce,
  tourists, institutions

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Tourism policies comparedTOURISM CONTEXTS 1
Attraction Attraction
Cultural Natural
Organi-sation Individual Ruhr heritage Skaane film Antalya branding North DK museums Achterhoek rural North DK coastal
Organi-sation Collective Antalya football Antalya coastal
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Tourism policies comparedTOURISM CONTEXTS 1
Attraction Attraction
Cultural Natural
Organi-sation Individual Ruhr heritage Skaane film Antalya branding North DK museums Achterhoek rural North DK coastal
Organi-sation Collective Antalya football Antalya coastal
Individual-cultural Individual-natural Collective-
cultural Collective-natural
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Tourism policies comparedTOURISM CONTEXTS 2
North DK
Antalya
Skaane
Ruhr
Achterhoek
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Tourism policies comparedSTRATEGIC AIMS
Communication Communication
Continuity Change
Service/ experience Continuity Service strategy Marketing strategy
Service/ experience Change Innovation strategy Branding strategy
Individual-cultural Individual-natural Collective-
cultural Collective-natural
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Tourism policies comparedPOLICY TARGETS
Target capabilities Target capabilities Target capabilities
Hardware Software Orgware
Target insti-tutions Individuals
Target insti-tutions Firms
Target insti-tutions System
Individual-cultural Individual-natural Collective-
cultural Collective-natural
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Tourism policies comparedPOLICY INSTRUMENTS
Rules / resources Authority Infor-mation Finance Organi-sation
Mandatory
Conditional
Voluntary
Individual-cultural Individual-natural Collective-
cultural Collective-natural
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Tourism policies comparedKNOWLEDGE IMPACT
Analy-tical Synthetic Symbolic
Exploration
Examination
Exploitation
Individual-cultural Individual-natural Collective-
cultural Collective-natural
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Tourism policies comparedCONCLUSIONS

• Existing policies key features Across contexts
• focus on development of new services
• generally target critical resources
• with important omissions (not-barking dogs)
• instruments/networks knowledge intensive
• growing importance of knowledge input/competences
• Rooms for knowledge-oriented improvement
• networked DMOs
• with local SMEs and extra-regional/international
  links
• creative generation of market/trend intelligence
• private partners and public knowledge
  institutions

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Tourism Policy and Knowledge Processes in Tourism
DevelopmentTheoretical reflections and
preliminary Results from a Comparative Study of
European destinations

• For draft written paper
• halkier_at_ihis.aau.dk
• Read more about EURODITE www.eurodite.bham.ac.uk

Henrik Halkier, Aalborg University,
halkier_at_ihis.aau.dk