Tourism innovation policy in Spain: the evaluation of a cluster experience

Abstract

The study of innovation in tourism from a policy perspective is still fragmented and largely ignored. The limited literature on tourism innovation policies offers empirically weak or vague evidence of its outcomes or effectiveness, aspect which is itself symptomatic of a more general lack of research on tourism policies. In an attempt to close this research gap, this study focuses on the implementation evaluation of a specific Programme of innovation policy applied to tourism: the Innovative Business Group (Agrupación Empresarial Innovadora, AEI for its initials in Spain). Based on the cluster approach, this Programme originally included in the Spanish R+D+I Plan 2008-2011 aims to promote innovation and competitiveness in the business sector, in general, and representing a major landmark, in tourism, after its incorporation as a specific action to be implemented and promoted via tourism policy (specifically the Tourism Plan Horizon 2020). The AEI Programme therefore became a bridge between tourism and innovation policies with the aim of promoting tourism innovation. The study attempts to evaluate policy outcomes from a qualitative perspective targeting the funding beneficiaries (phone interviews with a semi structure questionnaire to 28 clusters or AEIs managers) and also evaluating the nature of their activities and type of innovation resulting despite the difficulties involved in assessing the effects of clusters in innovation performance. The qualitative analysis reveals the existence of obstacles to the policy objectives and outcomes fulfilment which have influenced negatively the innovation process. On the contrary, facilitators, or factors with a positive influence, have also been identified because of their evident relation with barriers (one may turn into other) being the study of both necessary for a complete picture. The study confirms the difficulties to translate policy ideals like innovation into action, specifically in the tourism sector and through a cluster approach.