CHALLENGES OF THE SOCIAL INNOVATION IN TOURISM

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to find out the significance of the social innovation in tourism according to the business concepts of the social economy which requires as much care and creativity in their generation as the social ideas. The goal of the social innovation has to be in terms of meeting social needs and achieving economic sustainability. Methodology – The paper examines critical factors that influence on the role of the social innovation in organizational change in tourism firms and value creation of the tourist social innovation projects in rural areas. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to gather all research literature related to the application of social innovation in tourism in recent years, and to provide an overview of it, as well as evaluating the effectiveness of social innovation in addressing innovative business models in tourism. Findings – The paper contributes to discussion about the increasingly important role of the social innovation in tourism. It is going for the service design processes that form creative projects from different fields of tourism and provide employment opportunities to young people and senior citizens alike. In addition, an integrated service system of interdisciplinary knowledge, multistakeholders and local resources fulfils various requirements of stakeholders to promote sustainable tourism. Contribution – This paper aims to fulfil this gap by presenting the theoretical domain in which this topic fits in and evidencing those successful factors that should be considered when designing and implementing a social innovation in tourism which may help other firms or local communities in Croatia facing a similar process.