ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses driving forces of innovation in tourism, and describes which special forms of innovation occur in the tourism sector and how innovation processes are addressed in tourism businesses. It presents theoretical discussion of forces that drive innovation in tourism. The chapter also presents the market-based view and its counterpart, the resource-based view, with a special focus on the dynamic capability approach. It consists of an interview with the director of the regional tourism organization of the Austrian federal state of Tyrol, Josef Margreiter, carried out by the authors. The interview shows that internal as well as external, and tangible as well as intangible factors are driving forces of innovation. Besides the customers and their feedbacks, human resources are crucial prerequisites for the development of successful innovation. The chapter emphasizes that the most important driving force of innovation in tourism, particularly in hotel and leisure tourism, are guests.
