Management of the Tourist Region - Identification of the determinants of Innovation

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to identify the entities responsible for creating the environment of aninnovative tourism region and to identify the activities that create it. The expert method was used in the paper.Pilot studies were conducted in November 2017, basic studies were conducted in May and June 2018, as well asin June 2019. The research tool was a questionnaire. The CAWI technique was used. The results were subject tostatistical calculations. The empirical results show that four categories of factors determine the innovativepotential of the tourism region, these are: knowledge, services market, policy, as well as the management systemand civil society. The most important factors are the policy and management, as well as scientific institutions.The task Policy and Management include: availability of non-repayable funds in the tourism sector and themanagement system, as well as creating the image and brand of the tourist reception area. The basic activities ofscientific institutions include the availability of scientific and technical knowledge and researching tourists’expectations. Originality/value of the research: The added value of the research results is the hierarchization ofentities operating in the tourist region due to their importance in the innovation process of the tourist region. Itwas identified that science and technology parks should play a leading role in the process of the development ofinnovation in a tourist region. Their most important tasks were identified as: availability of scientific and technicalknowledge, and researching tourists' expectations. Scientific activities should be supported by a highly developedinformation system, primarily in the area of tracking the innovation market and the availability of information onthe latest innovations. Research has shown that non-repayable financial programmes play an important role inthe innovation process of the tourist regions in Poland. From the scientific point of view, the research contributesto the further in-depth analysis of the innovativeness of a tourism region and the creation of the theoretical conceptof the tourism region innovation model. From a practical point of view, the results of the research can help todevelop programmes and strategies aimed at increasing the innovative potential of the tourism region.