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The role of individual entrepreneurs in the development of competitiveness for a rural tourism destination – A case study

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  • Komppula, Raija

Abstract

The aim of this case study is to increase our understanding of the role of entrepreneurs in enhancing the competitiveness of a rural tourism destination. A literature review of the research on destination competitiveness with a focus on the roles of different stakeholders is first presented, followed by a narrative about rural tourism development, the competitiveness of rural destinations and the role of entrepreneurs in establishing successful destinations. The data consists of six case studies and nine semi-structured interviews among tourism entrepreneurs and managers at a rural tourism destination in Finland. The findings challenge the prevailing DMO dominated approach to destination competitiveness development, and call for the acknowledgment of collaboration between small tourism enterprises in the enhancement of rural destinations. Municipalities have a crucial role as facilitators of the entrepreneurial environment, but without innovative, committed, and risk-taking entrepreneurs no destination will flourish.

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  • Komppula, Raija, 2014. "The role of individual entrepreneurs in the development of competitiveness for a rural tourism destination – A case study," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 361-371.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:touman:v:40:y:2014:i:c:p:361-371
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tourman.2013.07.007
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    1. Sergio Ochoa Jiménez & Alma Rocío García García & Sacnicté Valdez del Río & Carlos Armando Jacobo Hernández, 2022. "Entrepreneurship in Tourism Studies in the 21st Century: A Bibliometric Study of Wos and Scopus," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, June.
    2. Veiga, Pedro Mota & Teixeira, Sérgio Jesus & Figueiredo, Ronnie & Fernandes, Cristina I., 2020. "Entrepreneurship, innovation and competitiveness: A public institution love triangle," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Marko D. Petrović & Aleksandra Vujko & Tamara Gajić & Darko B. Vuković & Milan Radovanović & Jasmina M. Jovanović & Natalia Vuković, 2017. "Tourism as an Approach to Sustainable Rural Development in Post-Socialist Countries: A Comparative Study of Serbia and Slovenia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Fotiadis, Anestis & Yeh, Shih-Shuo & Huan, Tzung-Cheng T.C., 2016. "Applying configural analysis to explaining rural-tourism success recipes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 1479-1483.
    5. Chien Mu Yeh, 2020. "The influence of foreign institutional investors, institutional directors, and the share pledge ratio of directors on financial performance of tourism firms," Tourism Economics, , vol. 26(1), pages 179-201, February.
    6. Ballina, Francisco Javier & Valdés, Luis & del Valle, Eduardo, 2021. "Quality marks as an economic consolidation factor for rural tourism," Cuadernos de Gestión, Universidad del País Vasco - Instituto de Economía Aplicada a la Empresa (IEAE).
    7. Taylor, Paul & Frost, Warwick & Laing, Jennifer, 2019. "Path creation and the role of entrepreneurial actors: The case of the Otago Central Rail Trail," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 79-91.
    8. Gabor, Michalko, 2015. "A content analysis of rural tourism research," MPRA Paper 77416, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 11 Aug 2015.
    9. Alex Yang-chan Hsu & Brian King & Dan Wang & Dimitrios Buhalis, 2016. "In-destination tour products and the disrupted tourism industry: progress and prospects," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 413-433, December.
    10. Park, Duk-Byeong & Doh, Kyung-Rok & Kim, Kyung-Hee, 2014. "Successful managerial behaviour for farm-based tourism: A functional approach," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 201-210.
    11. Nikolaos TZIORAS, 2018. "The Role of Environmental Management in Tourism Marketing Development as a Means of Destination Promotion," Expert Journal of Marketing, Sprint Investify, vol. 6(2), pages 65-73.
    12. Ristić, Dušan & Vukoičić, Danijela & Milinčić, Miroljub, 2019. "Tourism and sustainable development of rural settlements in protected areas - Example NP Кopaonik (Serbia)," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    13. Sardaro, Ruggiero & La Sala, Piermichele & De Pascale, Gianluigi & Faccilongo, Nicola, 2021. "The conservation of cultural heritage in rural areas: Stakeholder preferences regarding historical rural buildings in Apulia, southern Italy," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    14. Mottiar, Ziene & Boluk, Karla & Kline, Carol, 2018. "The roles of social entrepreneurs in rural destination development," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 77-88.
    15. Della Corte, Valentina & Aria, Massimo, 2016. "Coopetition and sustainable competitive advantage. The case of tourist destinations," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 524-540.
    16. Magombo Alice & Rogerson Christian M. & Rogerson Jayne M., 2017. "Accommodation services for competitive tourism in Sub-Saharan Africa: Historical evidence from Malawi," Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, Sciendo, vol. 38(38), pages 73-92, December.
    17. Nikolaos TZIORAS, 2019. "Policies and Proposals of Primary Importance for a Sustainable Tourism Development and a Competitive Greek Tourist Product," Expert Journal of Marketing, Sprint Investify, vol. 7(1), pages 7-13.
    18. Rizki Briandana & Caturida Meiwanto Doktoralina & Danto Sukmajati, 2018. "Promotion Analysis of Marine Tourism in Indonesia: A Case Study," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(1), pages 602-613.
    19. Wei Guo & Xin Zhang, 2022. "Regional Tourism Performance Research: Knowledge Foundation, Discipline Structure, and Academic Frontier," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    20. Fotiadis, Anestis K. & Nuryyev, Guych & Achyldurdyyeva, Jennet, 2018. "Rural tourism support, size, and geographic characteristics impact on tourism development," MPRA Paper 98908, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    21. Cucari, Nicola & Wankowicz, Ewa & Esposito De Falco, Salvatore, 2019. "Rural tourism and Albergo Diffuso: A case study for sustainable land-use planning," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 105-119.
    22. Gajić Tamara & Penić Mirjana & Vujko Aleksandra & Petrović Marko D., 2018. "Development Perspectives of Rural Tourism Policy – a Comparative Study of Rural Tourism Competitiveness Based on Perceptions of Tourism Workers in Slovenia and Serbia," Eastern European Countryside, Sciendo, vol. 24(1), pages 143-154, December.
    23. McCamley, Claire & Gilmore, Audrey, 2017. "Aggravated fragmentation: A case study of SME behaviour in two emerging heritage tourism regions," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 81-91.
    24. Meng-Lei Monica Hu & Yu-Hsi Yuan, 2020. "Constructing the Assessment Scale of Youth’s Restaurant Entrepreneurship Competency: The Case of Taiwan," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440199, January.
    25. Njegovan, N. & Demirovic, D. & Vasko, Z., 2018. "Selection and application of pricing strategies in rural tourism: the case of Vojvodina's farmsteads," R-Economy, Ural Federal University, Graduate School of Economics and Management, vol. 4(1), pages 18-23.

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