ABSTRACT
It has been argued for many years (for example Powell, Koput and Smith-Doerr 1996) that innovation requires knowledge as knowledge is a resource that can be used to grow and sustain the tourism sector and enhance its competitiveness (Cooper 2006) as it is a source for innovation in tourism (Hjalager 2002). One way that the required knowledge can be spread across the businesses in a resort area is through the sharing of knowledge between different tourism and hospitality businesses. Knowledge sharing involves the flow of ideas and experiences between individuals (Bartol and Srivastava 2002) and one way that this can take place is through the formation of business ties and networking links. Knowledge when shared through inter-business networking links can create knowledgeable agents and build up and spread the knowledge stocks of businesses.
