ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the three pillars running through the entire book, that of collaboration, technology, and experiences. For many in tourism and hospitality, collaboration is widely viewed as a strategic necessity with the industry characterized by interdependence, a large number of very small players, and fragmentation of markets. Tourism is particularly complex in its dynamics and networks with changing political, social, and economic forces incentivizing collaborative approaches to marketing. As with all industries, however, tourism and hospitality are highly competitive so a key question for all organizations is when is it most appropriate to adopt collaborative and/or competitive strategies to seek a competitive advantage in the marketplace? Similarly, the exponential growth in technology both generally and specific to the tourism and hospitality industry serves as the greatest single disruptor over the past two decades. Not only has it changed the way in which products are consumed but it too has fundamentally changed the way in which products are designed and supplied. This latter point is important in introducing the domain of tourism and hospitality “experiences” and the means by which the industry and its customers, clients, and on occasions resident communities co-create the tourism experience!
