Aurkene ALZUA-SORZABAL, Nebrija University, Spain
Basagaitz GUEREÑO-OMIL, University of Deusto, Spain
Francisco FEMENIA-SERRA, Nebrija University, Spain
The COVID-19 pandemic has underlined the relevance of tourism in rural areas, supporting rural communities while providing new ways for travellers to enjoy tourism experiences. In the last decades, rural areas worldwide have shifted their economic activity towards tourism and hospitality, which has brought a substantial development of rural tourism (Reino, Alzua-Sorzabal & Baggio, 2013). Rural destinations have emerged as the most attractive choice after the pandemic outbreak. Evidence suggests that the health crisis may promote the development of domestic tourism and improve the quality of tourist services in rural destinations.
The latest report commissioned by OECD (2020) focused on the implications of COVID-19 on rural development, identifying the use and diffusion of digital tools as an effective strategy to boost recovery and resilience. The changes require insights into the new business approach based on collaboration, alliances, and shared innovation. Furthermore, in a consumer-driven market, small rural enterprises will depend on a deeper understanding of consumer expectations and adapting to this changing market to design meaningful travel experiences.
The present study has conveyed some important indications between collaborative technologies, knowledge and information sharing and co-creating value proposition. Adapting to the changing market requires adopting new collaborative skills and competencies. In that sense, this exploratory empirical study evidences that knowledge and technology-driven innovation is significant for tourism organisations to be in relation with other businesses and customers. This is especially important for small businesses in non-urban environments, characterised by a slower path in adopting the new economic and social collaborative models. Failure to recognise the impact of the networks and platform-based models could drive the digital divide and lose competitiveness compared to businesses established in urban settings.
Mots clés : rural tourism|technology capacity|information sharing|co-creation|rural accommodation
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