Strategic Innovation Model for Local Tourism Businesses (Case Study of Guilan Province)

The purpose of this study is to develop a model for local tourism businesses in order to achieve strategic innovation in this field.

 This study employed descriptive-analytical method and exploratory approach. The statistical population of the study consisted of managers and experts with more than 10 years of experience in Tourism Development Company of Guilan province. First, based on semi-structured interview, 23 of the participants were interviewed. Next, the questionnaires containing the information extracted from the research model were randomly distributed among 141 managers and experts of Guilan travel agencies. Qualitative data analysis was carried out by fundamental theory and questionnaire data were analyzed by means of factor analysis. In order to ensure the validity, based on Cresol criteria, a comparison was made between the paradigm model of this study and the previous ones. MAXQDA 10 software was used to analyze the interview data and SPSS 21 and LISREL were employed for the analysis of the questionnaire data

 In the process of analyzing the interviews, 32 basic concepts were open coded in the innovation field. Then, in axial coding based on the thematic similarities, 12 main concepts and finally five categories emerged in the form of a paradigmatic model; afterwards, in the quantitative research phase, the post-test model was confirmed.

 The results showed that the knowledge-building capacity of tourism companies leads to strategic innovation through various components including open innovations, knowledge-based dynamic capability, knowledge from external sources, basic skills and experience, communication structure and knowledge dissemination.