Travel experience ecosystem model : building travel agencies’ business resilience in Portugal

The Portuguese tourism distribution recognizes in the digital economy drivers - based on e-business, collaborative networks and information exchange - an incentive to productivity and rendibility, leading to sustainable competitive advantages. Travel agencies live currently in a Darwinian business-oriented environment, where only resilient entrepreneurs are able to survive. This framing allows the genesis of a new theoretical archetype of travel agencies, the “TEEM - Travel Experience Ecosystem Model” observing several organizational strategies and concepts, such as Resilient Virtual Organizations, Digital Customer Ecosystems, Collaborative Value Chain and Co-Creation travel experiences, as well as new types of Open Source Innovation trough Social Web

Systems approach to model smart tourism ecosystems

The tourism industry is inherently complex and a key player in sustainable development. This paper intends to discuss the path towards building a sustainable smart tourism ecosystem model by delving deep into the pivotal topics with interesting speculations on smart cities' perspectives that lay a broader foundation of smart tourism destinations. First, it discusses the interconnections and foundation of smart tourism ecosystems by proposing a general conceptual model describing traditional tourism transformation through ICTs. Second, by explicating each building block of smart tourism ecosystems and using systems methodology (systems thinking method and qualitative modeling in a frame of system dynamics) to break down the complex system of smart tourism's roles and components. Such methods are widely utilized in different fields of study to facilitate the decisionmaking process by furnishing a holistic view of the problem. For that matter, Causal Loop Diagramming (CLDs) was used as one of the powerful tools of systems thinking to depict smart tourism ecosystems. The proposed causal loop diagram considers sustainability as one of the main concerns and trying to shed some light on intricate networks of businesses, socioeconomic, and environmental subsystems in smart tourism destinations that are performing distinctively yet interdependent. This study is an ongoing process employing System Dynamics (SD) methodology for model testing and validation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Eco‐Holonic 4.0 Circular Business Model to Conceptualize Sustainable Value Chain Towards Digital Transition

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize a circular business model based on an Eco-Holonic Architecture, through the integration of circular economy and holonic principles. A conceptual model is developed to manage the complexity of integrating circular economy principles, digital transformation, and tools and frameworks for sustainability into business models. The proposed architecture is multilevel and multiscale in order to achieve the instantiation of the sustainable value chain in any territory. The architecture promotes the incorporation of circular economy and holonic principles into new circular business models. This integrated perspective of business model can support the design and upgrade of the manufacturing companies in their respective industrial sectors. The conceptual model proposed is based on activity theory that considers the interactions between technical and social systems and allows the mitigation of the metabolic rift that exists between natural and social metabolism. This study contributes to the existing literature on circular economy, circular business models and activity theory by considering holonic paradigm concerns, which have not been explored yet. This research also offers a unique holonic architecture of circular business model by considering different levels, relationships, dynamism and contextualization (territory) aspects

Sustainable Value Co-Creation in Welfare Service Ecosystems : Transforming temporary collaboration projects into permanent resource integration

The aim of this paper is to discuss the unexploited forces of user-orientation and shared responsibility to promote sustainable value co-creation during service innovation projects in welfare service ecosystems. The framework is based on the theoretical field of public service logic (PSL) and our thesis is that service innovation seriously requires a user-oriented approach, and that such an approach enables resource integration based on the service-user’s needs and lifeworld. In our findings, we identify prerequisites and opportunities of collaborative service innovation projects in order to transform these projects into sustainable resource integration once they have ended

eEnabled internet distribution for small and medium sized hotels: the case of hospitality SMEs in Athens

Advances in information and communications technologies (ICTs) have strategic implications for a wide range of industries. Tourism and hospitality have dramatically changed by the ICTs and the Internet and gradually emerge as the leading industry on online expenditure. The Internet revolutionised traditional distribution models, enabled new entries propelled both disintermediation and reintermediation and altered the sources of competitive advantage. This paper explores the strategic implications of ICTs and the perceived advantages and disadvantages of Internet distribution for small and medium-sized hospitality enterprises (SMEs). Primary research in Athens hotels demonstrates the effects of the Internet and ICTs for secondary markets, where there is lower penetration and ICT adoption. Interviews and questionnaires identified a number of strategies in order to optimise distribution. The analysis illustrates the strategic role of ICTs and the Internet for hospitality organisations and Small and Medium-sized organisations in general. Most hotels employ a distribution mix that determines the level and employment of the Internet. The paper demonstrates that only organisations that use ICTs strategically will be able to develop their electronic distribution and achieve competitive advantages in the future

The Role of Collaborative Networks in Sustainability

http://www.springerlink.com/content/978-3-642-15960-2#section=791431&page=1International audienc

Shaping a view on the influence of technologies on sustainable tourism

To date, tourism is the fastest growing industry globally, but one of the least developed in terms of environmentally sustainable practices. However, only a small portion of documents elaborate on how the introduction of new technologies can impact a more sustainable development route for tourism. This study’s objective is to provide an overview on literature state‐of‐the‐art related to sustainable tourism and technological innovations, offering insights for further advancing this domain. We employ a bibliometric analysis and a comprehensive review of 139 articles, collected from Web of Science and Scopus databases, for the purpose of: (i) exploring and discussing the most relevant contributions in the publication network: (ii) highlighting key issues and emerging topics; (iii) uncovering open questions for the future. Our findings reveal contradictory views on the risks and benefits of technology adoption. Artificial intelligence, internet of things, circular economy, big data, augmented and virtual reality emerge as major trends. Five work streams are identified and described, leading to a broader perspective on how technology can shape the future of sustainable tourism. Relevant theoretical and managerial implications are derived. Finally, a research agenda is proposed as guidance for future studies addressing the outcomes of digital disruption on sustainable tourism.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

ADOPTING NEW MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR BETTER TOURIST EXPERIENCES IN MALAYSIA’S TOURISM SECTOR

The effect of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) on the Malaysian tourism business is looked into in this study. With tourism at the forefront of this digital transformation, AR and VR have emerged as revolutionary forces, revolutionising a wide range of businesses. While Virtual Reality immerses viewers in a virtual environment, Augmented Reality enhances real-life experiences by superimposing digital information on top of the physical world. The entire visitor experience—from planning and booking to on-site exploration and post-trip comments—has been changed by AR and VR. While virtual reality (VR) technologies offer deep participation in several exciting activities and provide a fascinating insight into the destination's attractions, augmented reality (AR) applications enhance the tourist experience by giving interactive maps, historical insights, and real-time translations

The role of innovation and knowledge for entrepreneurship and regional development

The impact of entrepreneurial activity on regional economic growth continues to be a focus of research and policy-makers throughout our global environment (Carree and Thurik 2000; Agarwal, Audretsc..