Innovative tourism products in Greek destinations and their influence into tourism stream

Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

FEDERAL STATE AUTONOMOUS

EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

NATIONAL RESEARCH UNIVERCITY

«HIGHER SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS»

Faculty of St. Petersburg School of Economics and Management

National Research University "Higher School of Economics"

Graduation qualification thesis

Innovative tourism products in Greek destinations and their influence into tourism stream

Kandylidou Ekaterina

Saint Petersburg - 2019



TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER 1. REVIEW OF APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF INNOVATIONS

1.1 Analyzing theoretical approaches in term of innovation

1.2 Classification of innovations

1.3 Innovation in Greek reality

CHAPTER 2. DESIGN OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY FOR THE QUANTITATIVE RESULTS

2.1 Collecting the innovations

2.2 Review of the tools that been used for the research

2.3 Interest over time and tendency

2.4 Web analysis of several sites

2.5 Built a regression analysis

2.6 Benchmarking

2.7 Setting Recommendations by specific criteria

CHAPTER 3. EMPYRICAL RESULTS OF RESEARCH

3.1 Results of analysis that were collected from several information into an Excel sheet

3.2 Interest over time and tendency through Google trends

3.3 Analyzing several sites

3.4 Regression analysis

3.5 Benchmarking

3.6 Recommendations

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES

ATTACHMENT



INTRODUCTION

Research object: The main object of research is the tourism innovations.

Research subject: The subject of research is the influence of innovative tourism into the tourism flow.

Research question: In which way the innovative products in Greek destinations influence the tourism stream?

Purpose of research: Identify what goals are pursued by innovative products in several Greek destinations.

Hypothesis 1: Innovative products are the object of attention and interest to several stakeholders.

Hypothesis 2: It is assumed that innovative products in Greek destinations increases the overall flow of visitors in low season helping Greece have all year round tourism.

Hypothesis 3: It is predicted that innovative products can influence tourism stream in many ways.

Main tasks of the research: To define and analyze the main terms of innovation, tourism flow and the role of innovation in tourism industry. Gather information about innovative products that exists in several Greek destinations and conduct the criteria of choosing those innovations and not others. Conduct quantitative research via data which will be collected, Google trends and by analyzing official sites of innovations, several Governmental sites, Regional and tour operators. On the basis of the information gathered, systematize the information and make recommendations for several regions and several stakeholders.

Methodology: The theoretical part of the study is based on the analysis of literary sources, scientific articles and publications. The theoretical and methodological bases for the dissertation are the official sites of Ministry of Tourism in Greece, the Greek National Tourism Organization, the Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises and the UNWTO. Also, the Federal Law relating for innovative products and the entrepreneurship. One more methodological aspect, as I already mention, will be the quantitative research which will be conducted after the theoretical part. This is research will be based on Google Trends analysis, analyzing several sites, benchmarking and regression analysis.



ABSTRACT

This master thesis dissertation is about innovative tourism products and services that exists in several tourism destinations in Greece. Furthermore, there is a quantitative research conducted, that analyzes in which way the innovative products influences the tourism flow.

Innovation is the key word of modern management and development policies. The concept of innovation is often used, but its exact content is usually unclear.

The objectives of thesis dissertation are:

1) To define the meaning of innovation and classify it

2) To present several innovations in different tourism destinations in Greece

3) To conduct a research via data that will be collected and prove in which ways innovative products can influence the tourism flow

4) To develop managerial recommendations

The main result of the thesis is the positive impact of innovative products on the tourist flow, which was discovered during the regression analysis. It was also found that the more a region allocates financial resources for innovative product, the more tourist flow increases in the region. At the same time, innovations can reduce the problem of seasonality and have a significant impact on several stakeholders such as =the Ministry of Tourism of Greece, the municipalities of the regions, the hotel and restaurant business, tourists, etc.

Key words: innovation, tourism flow, Greek destinations, quantitative research, tourism



CHAPTER 1. REVIEW OF APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF INNOVATIONS

1.1 Analyzing theoretical approaches in term of innovation

The issue of innovation in various spheres of our life is actively studied by researchers all over the world. However, the term “innovation” is mainly researched in sphere of business. That is why further research is required to analyze the theoretical approaches that are used by the authors in the study of innovation. To this end, the concept of “innovation” from the point of view of various fields of scientific knowledge will be considered in this paragraph.

Definition of innovation: There are many several definitions for the word innovation. The word derives from Latin language. The Latin word is “innovatio”. This word meant in the past the creation of something new.

Current definitions of innovation: The term of innovation used for several years in many sectors such as business, economics, sociology, science and tourism. Despite the fact that the term was used in many disciplines for years, it is often confused with terms such as adjustment, invention, inspiration, prototype or even the term creativity.

Joseph Alois Schumpeter is often believed that he is the first economist who defined the term of innovation. In 1930 he separated the term into 4 categories of definition:

· Introduction of new product or improvement of an existed one

· Innovative new process in an industry

· The beginning of a brand-new market

· Changes in an organization Rogers Mark (2008), The definition and Measurement of innovation

However, Schumpeter never positioned the term into specific sector but he mainly positioned on innovation economics. After him, many other researchers tried to reach the term of innovation in different ways. As an example, in the organizational framework, innovation may be linked to positive changes in planning, work-rate, quality, antagonism, and market share. However, current research findings call attention to the supplementary role of organizational culture in enabling organizations to transform innovative activity into tactile performance advancements. Salge, Torsten Oliver; Vera, Antonio (2012). "Benefiting from Public Sector Innovation: The Moderating Role of Customer and Learning Orientation". Public Administration Review Organizations can also make better earnings and performance by providing group-work chances and resources to innovate, in addition to employee's core work assignments West, Michael A. (2002). "Sparkling Fountains or Stagnant Ponds: An Integrative Model of Creativity and Innovation Implementation in Work Groups". Applied Psychology.. Peter Drucker wrote "The Discipline of Innovation". Harvard Business Review. August 2002. Retrieved 13 October 2013.: “Innovation is a certain function of entrepreneurship, a public service institution, or a risky journey started by an unaccompanied individual in the family kitchen. It is the means by which the entrepreneur either creates new prosperous-production resources or encompasses existing resources with increased potential for creating prosperity”.

According to Clayton Christensen, uncooperative innovation is the key to future success in business MIT Sloan Management Review Spring 2002. "How to identify and build New Businesses".The organization requires a proper formation in order to maintain competitive advantage. It is essential to create and bride the necessary surroundings for the innovation. Principals and managers need to break away from traditional ways of thinking and use change to their benefit Anthony, Scott D.; Johnson, Mark W.; Sinfield, Joseph V.; Altman, Elizabeth J. (2008). Innovator's Guide to Growth. "Putting Disruptive Innovation to Work". Harvard Business School Press..

The robotics engineer Joseph F. Engelberger asserts that innovations require only three things:

· A certified necessity,

· Competent people with relevant technology, and

· Financial support Dubickis, M., Gaile-Sarkane, E. (2015). "Perspectives on Innovation and Technology Transfer". Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences.

The definition started to be used into business sector from 2005 when it starts to consist in Oslo Manual (OESD, Eurostat 2005). An innovation is the operation of a brand-new or significantly improved product (good or service), or process, a new marketing method, or a new organizational method in business practices, workplace organization or external relations. A common feature of an innovation is that it must have been carried out on practice. A new or improved product is implemented when it is launched on the market. New processes, marketing methods or organizational methods are implemented when they are lead into actual use in the organization's operations. The definition deals with product, process and two methods, marketing and organization Gault, Fred. (2018). Defining and measuring innovation in all sectors of the economy. Another general definition of innovation is given as an innovation is the implementation of a new or significantly changed product or process. A product is a good or a service. Process includes production or delivery, organization and marketing processes. A new or significantly changed product is implemented when it is made available to potential users. New or significantly changed processes are implemented when they are brought into actual use in the operation of the institutional unit, including the making of product available to potential users Мashelkar, R.A. (2012) On Building an Inclusive Innovation Ecosystem. OECD, Paris. Innovation is an act of introducing something new, a new idea, more effective device or process. It arouse that the terms “innovation” and “invention” are connected, being outlined as a developing complex procedure of innovation formation, allotment, use, focused on productiveness growth and development of innovative procedures. There is also an essentially opposite opinion, according to which the invention is a gradual novelty, used in dynamics and being new for the organizational system, which accepts and puts it into force. As a canon, novelties create the novelty market, and innovations create the competitive innovation market, and the investments create the capital market, framing together the field of innovative procedures Karpenko, M.O. (2013), Modern approaches to the concept and classification of innovations. Bulletin of Bryansk State University.

Simultaneously, we need to mind that the connotations of “invention” and “discovery” are narrowly connected to the innovation term, but differentiate from it:

* The discovery is made by a single inventor however most of times the innovation is produced by groups and takes the shape of an innovation design

* The discovery is coming out mostly accidentally nevertheless the innovation is an outcome of scientific search

* The main goal of an innovation, in contrast with the term of discovery, is the tangible advantage

Drucker, in the other hand, separates the following sources of innovative ideas: 1) An unanticipated event (unexpected success, non-fulfillment), 2) discordant (a difference among the reality and its understanding), 3) the inventions for the process needs (imperfection and failures to be eliminated), 4) instant changes in the synthesis of economic operation type or market, 5) changes in comprehend, place and important adaptation, 6) new knowledge (scientific, unscientific) Drucker, P.F. (2012), Management Challenges for the 21st Century. Moscow: Mann, Ivanov i Ferber. The above definition clearly differentiates innovation from smaller changes in the distribution of products by extending product lines, attaching service ingredients or product differentiation. Successful innovation, e.g. innovation that is also profitable to a business firm in a competitive market, must raise the value of the product or make bigger the tourism experience. Since the value equalization is “quality perceived by customers, divided by the price of this quality”, the innovation to be successful must raise the value either by upgrading the quality or by decreasing the price Viktoriya Valeryevna Manuylenko (2015) A Comprehensive Definition of the Concept of Innovation in Russian and International Science, International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues.

Generally speaking, the term is often associated with products. When people think of innovation, they mostly think about a physical product such as a computer, a smart phone or other. However, innovation can come out through any procedure that makeS products. O'Sullivan D., Dooley L. (2013), Defining innovation

A 2014 survey of literature on innovation grounded more than 30 definitions. In a manufacturing survey of how the software industry outlined the term of innovation, the following definition given by Crossan and Apaydin was considered to be the most complete. It was created on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) manual's definition: As a result, the definition says that the innovation is a production or an adoption of a value-incorporated innovation in economic and social spheres. It is both a procedure and an outcome.

As stated by Kanter, innovation incorporates prototype invention and creative use which as a result determines innovation as an age group, acceptance and realization of new ideas, products, services and processes.

Two main dimensions of innovation were degree of originality (i.e. whether an innovation is modern and fresh to the firm, market, industry, or even new to the whole world) and kind of innovation (i.e. whether it is processor product-service system innovation) Edison, H., Ali, N.B., & Torkar, R. (2014). Towards innovation measurement in the software industry. Journal of Systems and Software. In recent organizational scholarship, researchers of working industry have also distinguished innovation to be separate from creativity, by providing an updated definition of these two related but well-defined establishments: “Workplace creativity concerns the cognitive and behavioral procedures applied when attempting to generate novel ideas. Workplace innovation concerns the processes applied when undertaking to implement new ideas”.

Measurement of innovativeness

Measuring innovativeness of any service or product is not an easy task, as it implies equability, so the results could be shown in quantitative terms. However, Edison found 232 metrics, which collect in two different main types. The organizational level and the political one:

· In organizational level, measurement may be accomplished, by workshops, researches, surveys and internal benchmarking. Collective quantifications are organized in general throughout balanced scorecards which cover several perspectives of innovation such as business measures related to finances, innovation procedure efficiency, employees' contribution and motivation and advantages for customers Davila, Tony; Marc J. Epstein and Robert Shelton (2006). Making Innovation Work: How to Manage It, Measure It, and Profit from It. Upper Saddle River: Wharton School Publishing.

· In political level measurement focuses mostly on countries' or regional competitive advantage through innovation. According this, measurement can be occurred through various evaluation frameworks. The new Oslo manual from 2005 takes a broaden viewpoint to innovation, and encompass marketing and organizational innovation. This level of quality is used as an example in the European Community Innovation Surveys OECD The Measurement of Scientific and Technological Activities. Proposed Guidelines for Collecting and Interpreting Technological Innovation Data. Oslo Manual. 3nd edition, DSTI, OECD / European Commission Eurostat, Paris 5 November 2005. This way of evaluation used also in tourism sector.

Innovation in Tourism industry: Much of the existing literature on innovation in tourism based on mental concepts and theoretical aspects, including the need, the meaning of innovation and its usefulness for tourism sector and tourism systems, integrative model for innovativeness in tourism and internationalization Birgit, P., Mike, P., & Chung-Shing, C. (2018). Needs, drivers and barriers of innovation: The case of an alpine community model destination. Tourism Management Perspectives. Most studies on tourism innovation are descriptive or in some cases analytical, and the need for more empirical research and quantitative evidence has broadly been needed. This is the gap that exists in researches about innovation around the world. Many supports that there is an obvious pursuit for better empirical proves about innovation in tourism and that this is crucial. The limited empirical knowledge of the innovation procedure and its determinants in the tourism sector is a major barrier for the development of appropriate strategies and policies that facilitate innovative products. Innovation in the tourism sector has widespread characteristics like those in any other economic sector. Service and marketing are the two main categories of innovation in tourism Degan, J. (2012) Benchmarking innovation in Irish Tourism: Identification of activity and an agenda for action. Ireland: Failte Ireland thematic grant project, National Centre for Tourism Policy Study. According to the OECD (2005), the tourism industry today has been energetic in adopting new technologies. Information and communication technology (ICT) is probably `the strongest driving force for changes in tourism. It supports internal and external coordination and communication, e-marketing, and the online sales of services. At the firm level, ICT creates a substantial opportunity for reengineering operations, such as back-office or reservation systems and e-business. ICT also enhances the mobility of passengers, luggage, and goods and information, thus reducing the burden of travel and resulting in bigger efficiency for both firms and tourists. Finally, innovation usually requires huge amounts of foundation; moreover, the financial capability of firms plays a vital role during the innovation process. However, most tourism firms are small-scale enterprises, and their capability to put money into innovation activities is limited. Therefore, the need for external financial support to encourage tourism firms to engage in innovative activities has been crucial. Of the various funding sources, government funding seems to be the most effective form of support to stimulate innovation within the tourism sector.

To conclude, cooperation, human capital, information technology and financial resources are often referent as key determinants of innovation in tourism. In addition, the scientific approach recommends several institutional factors associated with the decision of tourism firms to adopt innovations. These include firm size, ownership patterns, the degree of competition, and environment. Furthermore, the nature of an industry may also influence the welfare to innovate.

Along with the institutional factors, which we treat as controlled variables influencing decisions to innovate, the four major determinants identified above are the most important for the innovation process Sarath Divisekera, Van K. Nguyen (2018), Determinants of innovation in tourism evidence from Australia, Tourism Management.

1.2 Classification of innovations

Classification of innovations: Tourism innovations classified in some sub-groups. The most common is the technological innovations, organizational and social.

· Technological innovations: Technological innovations are the innovations that are connected in any way with technology and technological devises. Examples of technological innovation are search engines of plane tickets, transport and accommodation. Other technological innovations could be applications that promote the territory or even virtual reality excursions in a museum, or anywhere else and artificial intelligence. One of the most recent innovations in tourism that provided through technology was an innovation from British Airways. Inserted chips introduced to the British market that launched it as part of an odd tendency to combine technology with the body of a body of human being.

· Organizational innovations: Organizational innovation means the strategic planning of a new organizational method in the business practices, workplace organization or outer relations. Moreover, it can be outlined as an alteration in how an organization works (in organizing terms, in marketing and others). Organizational innovation can be outlined also as the introduction of something new (an idea, product, service, technology, process, and strategy) to an organization. Official Journal of the EU: COMMUNITY FRAMEWORK FOR STATE AID FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION. One of the most important papers on the term of organizational innovation, Lam (2006) Lam A (2006) Organizational innovation. In: Fagerberg J,Mowery DC (eds) The Oxford handbook of innovation. has stated that studies of organizational innovation can be classified into three different ways which lead to three different research questions: 1) organizational structure and design theories 2) organizational cognitive and learning theories, and 3) organizational change and adaptation theories.

· Social innovations: Innovations that concerns society or environmental issues are in the group of social innovations. In tourism industry there are many social innovations. As an example airplanes that helping people with special disabilities was a social innovation some decades before. Social innovations, in general, examined rarely. Actually, in some definitions it is said that all the technological innovations must contain some kind of social aspect Timo J. Hдmдlдinen (2007), Social Innovations, Institutional Change, and Economic Performance: Making. However, in tourism industry there are specific innovations which concerns special social groups of people and it is not necessary that they contain a technological pattern. Most popular tourism type which often contains social innovations is accessible tourism.

Other subgroups of classification of innovations could be the innovation that formulates a product and innovations that helps the promotion of service or product in tourism.

The innovation that formulates the product mostly concerns the tourism product as itself. The innovation formulates the new product or improves an existed one.

The innovation that makes a promotion of territory mostly is something more near to a technological application.

Some other definitions of tourism innovation split it into different kind of categories:

Categories of Tourism innovations Bйnйdicte Aldebert, Rani J.Dang,Christian Longhi (2011) Innovation in the tourism industry: The case of Tourism

1) Innovation in the use of Ecotourism: it concerns tourism activities that protect and take advantage from the natural environment. As an example the sustainable development or recycling and waste management in a hotel chain.

2) Innovation in the usage of new technology: As an example offering services to the visitor using e-Business practices.

3) Innovation in Business Administration and Organization in the Tourism Industry: New business strategies having as a main goal the most effective and productive attraction of traveler to a specific location. As an example usage of cooperative alliances with the aim of improving the tourist product in local basis.

4) Innovation in marketing of tourism products and services: Cooperative strategies for the promotion of tourism products. Example: promoting with the use of mass media all over the world or via online promotion.

5) Innovation in designing and delivering new products and services in tourism industry. As an example in conference tourism, tourist products related to sport, culture or tourism products targeted at specific consumer groups.

1.3 Innovation in Greek reality

In terms of Greek reality, innovation didn't play that significant role in the past, especially in the first years of crisis (2009-2013). However, after 2014 Greece “enter” the game of innovation in tourism industry, especially in the sector of technology as we will see later from strategic planning of Ministry of Tourism on 2018.

Strategic plans by Ministry of Tourism in Greece about innovation presented in SETE annual conference of 2018:

· Programs and actions to support start-up entrepreneurship in tourism and existing small and medium-sized tourism businesses for their digital transformation to become more extrovert and competitive.

· The digital transformation of the Ministry of Tourism to facilitate citizens and businesses in their dealings, following the digitization and codification of tourism legislation that has been completed.

· Electronic system of support for the employees of the tourist sector and their interconnection with the labor market.

· Digitization of public tourism education and upgrading of curricula based on international standards.

· Introducing modern methods of quantitative and qualitative data analysis to capture the real contribution of tourism to economy and their exploitation in marketing strategy.

· Implementation of the new GNTO (Greek National Tourism Organization) digital portal, the national body in the global tourism promotion of Greece. The Visit Greece portal is enriched and will be available to visitors in ten languages, with smart interactive applications, utilizing modern virtual and augmented reality technologies.

· Creation of a digital repository for the promotion of the cultural and natural wealth of Greece, including attractions and tourist routes.

Other strategic plans about innovative products in tourism presented in official documents of Ministry of Tourism

Programs and actions to support start-up entrepreneurship, innovative products in tourism and small/medium-sized tourism businesses is the main goal of the strategic plan of 2014-2020 of Ministry of Tourism in Greece.

The Visit Greece portal is enriched and will be available to visitors in ten languages, with smart interactive applications, utilizing modern virtual and augmented reality technologies. Also, there will be separate sector about several innovative products all over Greece which can be used by visitors to help them have better experience.

Main strategic plan about innovation is based on 6 key axes:

1) Financial support in hotel industry so they will be motivated to create more innovative products inside their hotels

2) Create a platform for tourism sector in which everyone can submit an innovative idea

3) Promote Greek destinations with low tourism flow via technological innovations (for example applications)

4) Cooperation with the regions and the private tourism sector for the promotion of tourism via innovation

5) The codification of the Tourism Legislation and the strengthening of the Ministry's service structures.

6) Supporting entrepreneurship and investment

Together with the leadership of the Ministry of Economy, Development and Tourism some other steps about innovation are:

· Making use of every possible finance resource from Community Funds and the new National Strategic Reference Framework (funds for 2014-2020), the Corporate Partnership Agreement for the Modernization of Tourism Enterprises and others.

· Working through the two Special Services provided by the Ministry, the Tourist Investment Licensing Authority (OneStopShop) and the Special Management Service (NSRF).

· Decide and legislate on Spatial Planning issues, regulating loans for sustainable businesses and other incentives, as well as developing a new Development Law with clear criteria, timetables and financing conditions.

· Move on to the new Classification and Certification System of the services and facilities of Greek hotels and accommodation based on high standards.

Concepts of plans with European Union:

1. Strengthening innovation capabilities

2. Protecting the environment and promoting sustainable territorial development

3. Improve mobility and territorial accessibility

4. Promoting a multi-centric and integrated Mediterranean space

5. Facilitating innovation and entrepreneurship

6. Improving accessibility

7. Develop transnational partnerships for sustainable development areas

8. Technical assistance to support implementation and increase capacity

SETE planning:

In SETE there is also a whole planning of investment policies and policies for promote innovative products for Greek tourism. The main directions of a national strategy for tourism investments and the factors that influence and shape the investment climate are also presented in the official site. The impact of globalization on the design of national tourism investment policies are presented, as well as the way in which new technologies influences the creation of innovations in Tourism.

The second part will analyze why and how much the competitiveness of Greek tourism depends on new investments and the key components of a long-term, flexible national strategy for tourism investment will be presented, according to a study by the Athens University of Economics and Business and the University of Patras. Representatives of multinational companies (Starwood, IMG) and Investors' Association (Turkish Tourism Investors Association) will take part in the discussion.

Cooperation of Greece with other countries in terms of innovation

In last 5 years Ministry of Tourism in Greece travel to many countries for represent the strategic plan for innovative products in tourism and for talking about potential cooperation.

One of the most significant was the cooperation in terms of innovation with Israel:

Visiting Israel's leading innovation promotion organization, Innovate Israel in Tel-Aviv, was held by the Tourism Minister, Elena Kountoura, as part of her presence at the International Tourism Fair IMTM.

Ms. Kountura met with Innovate Israel head Itai Green and Israel Travel-Tech Startups (ITTS) coordinator Michael Ben Aharon to promote cooperation between Greece and Israel in innovation and technology in the tourism sector.

The Minister presented the strategy of the Ministry of Tourism that has consistently produced a record tourism record over the last four years. She referred to the new opportunities and challenges created by the booming tourism growth in Greece and presented national development planning with the priorities of strengthening innovation and the digital transformation of Greek tourism.

Elena Kountoura stressed that only through the implementation of innovation and the promotion of new technologies, Greece can ensure a high growth rate for Greek tourism in the coming years. And noted that it is a strategic goal to upgrade the total travel experience 365 days a year for the benefit of not only visitors but also residents to diversify the economic benefits of tourism to local communities and create more businesses and new jobs.

Representatives of Innovate Israel wanted to know more details about her work in the field of tourism and the development of Greek-Israeli tourism relations. They agreed that the digital transformation of the industry is a great challenge and a necessity for tourism at a global level. They also expressed their interest in working with the Ministry of Tourism and the Greek Tourism Organization to strengthen co-operation in innovation and technology in the tourism sector, to promote the exchange of know-how and good practices and to raise the international investment opportunities offered by Greek startup businesses.

In addition, the Minister met with Israeli emerging Israeli startup businesses in the field of tourism, with major international distinctions, members of Israel Travel-Tech Startups (ITTS), where they presented new technological solutions in the field of tourism education, services to travelers and tourism businesses, and the promotion of destinations.



CHAPTER 2. DESIGN OF RESEARCH METHODOLOGY FOR THE QUANTITATIVE RESULTS

The design of the practical part of the study can be divided into four thematic blocks. The first part analyzes all the main information about innovative products. The second part analyzes the interest and tendency over last 5 years for concrete innovative products in several Greek destinations. The third part encompasses all the potential interactions between some of the main characteristics of innovations (financial resources, level of innovativeness and tourism flow). This part contains regression analysis. In the fourth part it is analyzed which are the best practices of several countries in terms of tourism innovation and which are the most applicable into Greek reality.

2.1 Collecting the innovations

The methodological tools that are used in this research dissertation are presented and analyzed in this chapter. First of all, I collected 110 innovations. Those innovations are chosen through 2 main criteria:

Table1 Criteria of choosing those innovations

1	Last 5 Years (2014-2018)
2	Nominated from Tourism awards about innovations in Greece

The first criterion of choosing those innovative products is that they either released or made an innovative improvement in its service in the last five years (2014-2018). This is a normal consequence in a theoretical basis because as we already mention in the first chapter, an innovation is something brand new. So first of all, all the innovative products that will be researched in this dissertation are from the last 5 years. Secondly, innovations that was nominated in some ceremonies or selected as the best for last 5 years by ministry of tourism in Greece or by other official organs will be also in the list below. The award ceremonies from which the innovations are selected were three and they were all existed in the last 5 years: Tourism Awards 2014-2018 (in sector of innovative products), Awards of new Start-ups and tourism innovation and Tourism Awards in Global senses.

Some sub-criterions are about classification of innovations which are on basis of theory. All in all, some innovative products will be from technological world, like innovative applications that provide several areas and considered from the government as innovative. Furthermore, the innovative products need to help somehow the society. This is the second classification in the theory of innovations. The last sub-criterion will be also a classification that exists in theory of innovations and it will be the organizational innovations.

The methodological tools that are used in this research dissertation are presented and analyzed in this chapter. First of all, I collected 110 innovations after having the two criteria that I mention before.

Table 2 List of Innovations:

1	Innoxenia
2	Sense Zagori Project
3	Leave like Local
4	Viva.gr
5	Triposo Travel guide
6	Dopios
7	Incerediblue
8	Captainwise
9	Museum of Typograpgy
10	Inn Med Tour
11	Macedonia Palace
12	Marriott Hotel
13	Toy museum
14	Mouzenidis Travel
15	One million senses
16	Eumelia Organic Farm
17	Millia Mountain Resort
18	Philoxenia Hotel
19	Dimitra Kokkevi-Fotiou
20	Jewelry museum
21	Tactual museum
22	Emotions museum
23	Children's Art museum
24	School life and education museum
25	Archeological museum
26	Reffil Greece
27	The saints store
28	Bridge hotel of Tzoumerka
29	Ryreion Boutique hotel
30	Tsivouli park
31	La Maison Vert Amande
32	Kalichoron hotel
33	Steris Elegand Beach Hotel
34	Onar Hotel
35	Casa Lucia
36	Panoram Genandi
37	Aigli Geni Hamam
38	The wenetian well
39	Eleas Gi
40	Moosend
41	Eberus
42	Benaki Museum
43	Vasilikia Mountain Farm & Retreat
44	Costa Navarino
45	Porto Carras Grand Resort
46	Hip Hospitality
47	Kyparissia Beach Hotel
48	Mastiha Museum
49	Museum of Olives and Olive oil
50	Museum of Marble crafts
51	Silk Museum
52	Roof till and Brickworks Museum
53	Museum of Industrial Olive oil production
54	Environment museum
55	Open air water power museum
56	Silver smithing museum
57	Athens book application
58	Athens airport application
59	OASA Telemetries
60	Foursquare
61	Vodafone explore Greece
62	Wiffinity
63	e-table.gr
64	Nannuka now
65	Greek Gods free
66	Islands
67	Thessaloniki travel
68	Saas
69	Be my Quest
70	Bike me up
71	Cash buddy
72	CheapNChear
73	Free on trip
74	Greenovate and host
75	Hands up
76	Hopeware
77	Laplaya
78	Local buddy
79	Mantis business innovation
80	Mobie
81	RelationSea
82	Noveltech
83	Telnavis
84	Taxibeat
85	Miraggion Thermal Spa
86	Santa Maria Oia Luxury suites & Spa
87	Domes Noruz
88	Blueground
89	Cookisto
90	Welcome pickups
91	Campervan Rental Services
92	Arkas travel services
93	Home-made
94	Forky
95	e-food.gr
96	MykonosReserve.com
97	Ocean Nomads
98	Lets meet in
99	Onewaywave
100	Pockettour
101	This is Athens
102	Sarafeio
103	Kypseli Public Market
104	Polis
105	Extrema
106	Novotel
107	Cosa Nostrum
108	Inheritage
109	Newbits
110	Innoenergy

2.2 Review of the tools that been used for the research

The first tool that been used is to collect several informative data and make comparisons through them. I collected all the data in an Excel sheet and organized by categories. The first data collected was about classification. The three main categories, taking on account theoretical findings, were technological, social and organizational. So I separated 110 cases into these three categories.

Moreover, I gather information about where they were created and where they are working. As a result, I found in many cases two different locations. In one case, in which were about creation I made a map through My Maps by Google where I pointed the places. About the location where the innovated products are working I made a graphic.

Furthermore, I collect all the information about which was the creation of making the innovative product (government, region, city or island and individual). Also, one more category was about field in which the innovation exists. As an example the field could be a hotel, a museum or an application.

After collecting that main information, I use Excel for Graphical analysis of the information that was collected. So I made 4 graphics from those 4 categories and one Map. However, I wanted to check the popularity of every innovation. Thus, I saw the users on Facebook pages of each innovative product and from Google I gather the number of reviews and rating. As a result, I made 3 more graphics in which I show the popularity of cases.

2.3 Interest over time and tendency

For seeing the interest over time for the terms that represents the innovative products I use Google Trends. This tool is a search trend feature that shows how often a given search term is inserted into Google's search engine relative to the site's total search volume over a given period of time. H.Choi, H. Varian (2012), Predicting the present with Google Trends

In Google trends you have also the possibility to compare one term to another. So you can also compare the trend of a keyword that you need with one other. Generally speaking, in Google trends you can check the interest of a term over concrete time and the tendency of it. As far as concerns tendency, you can see if it increases over time, decreases or it is sharply increasing or decreasing among a small period of time. Also, tendency can be stable over time.

Google Trends provides keyword-related data including search volume index and geographical information about search engine users.

I used Google Trends putting the last 5 years, which are the years that the innovative products which I am analyzing were created. Also, I put into the location the worldwide point. For finding the concrete word, so I could have the results I need about the innovative product that I choose I use Similar Web tool and Word Stream tool.

Similar Web is a website which provides web analytics to businesses or to individuals. Through the website someone can check the website motion, volume, reviewed resources, keyword analysis and many other analytics TC. Chen, S. Dick, J. Miller, (2010), Detecting visually similar web pages: Application to phishing detection.

Word stream is mainly software designed specifically for small and medium-sized businesses. It is also a keyword analysis tool. L. Kim, (2009), Integrated web analytics and actionable workbench tools for search engine optimization and marketing

I use both tools for finding the concrete word which will give me the innovation from Greece which I need for analyzing so I could build the right graphic in Google trends.

I built 102 graphics from 110 cases/innovations. I put them all in an Excel sheet so I could gather them all together. Then I started to separate the graphics through its interest and through its tendency. In the interest I put criteria about what is considered as a low interest, what medium, what high and what very high. Here I need to stress that in Google Trends the number is from 0 to 100. So I separate 4 categories into those 100 numerals. Then I count all the Graphics that have low, medium, high and very high interest over time. After that, I create a pie chart. As far as concerns tendency I put categories about increasing tendency through those years, decreasing tendency, stable tendency in all years and sharply changing tendency into up or down in a small period of time. I again count the graphics and then create another pie chart.

Lastly, I made a correlative relationship in which I compare the two independent variables (interest and tendency). I made a table with two arrows (horizontal and vertical) which are about interest and tendency, respectively. Then in this table I put all the graphics which I found for the innovations. In this way I could compare both findings that I had from Google trends, one to another and how they influence the findings that I had about them.

2.4 Web analysis of several sites

In web analysis it were analyzed all the information which could be necessary for the research. The quantity of sites by category (Governmental, Regional, tour operators):

Table 3 Quantity of official sites

Category	Quantity
Official sites of EU	2
Governmental	9
Regional	27
Tour operators	10
Total	50

All those sites were been scraped through Web scraper tool and collect all the text data into Excel file. Web scraping is data scraping used for extracting data from websites. Web scraping software may enter the World Wide Web straightly using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol, or through a web browser. While web scraping can be done manually by a software user, the term typically mentions the automated processes implemented using a web crawler. It is a way of duplicating, in which specific data is collected and duplicated from the web, typically into a central local database or spreadsheet, for later analysis Boeing, G.; Waddell, P. (2016). "New Insights into Rental Housing Markets across the United States: Web Scraping and Analyzing Craigslist Rental Listings". Journal of Planning Education and Research.

After the texting data were collected I made a semantic analysis through istio.com, in which I put all the text that I scrape before and it gave me the 20 words that mentioned the most. Also, I made with all text word clouds which are presented later.

Secondly, all informative data that were collected were been coded by categories. Those categories were about declaration about innovation inside sites and promotion of innovations through sites generally.

Furthermore, from the exact 110 cases there been analyzed from where their finance recourses come from (EU, government, region and others) and from which sites they were promoted if they were.

Lastly, through sites there were collected all the financial resources by exact numbers that are given for innovative products in tourism, in several regions, from European Union and from Ministry of Tourism anf ministry of Economy and Development.

Furthermore, through sites, there been taken statistics about how tourism flow increase through the last 5 years in Greece.



2.5 Built a regression analysis

In statistical patterns, regression analysis is a range of statistical procedures for estimating the relationships among variables. It includes many techniques for formulating and analyzing several variables, when the main goal is on the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. Especially, regression analysis helps the understanding of how the typical value of the dependent variable changes when any of the independent variables is varied, while the other independent variables are held fixed. David A. Freedman, Statistical Models: Theory and Practice, Cambridge University Press (2005)

The analysis where used to focus on the relationship between finance recourses, tourism flow over regions and quantity of innovations.

There were been built two main regressions. The first were about the relationship of financial recourses that are giving the regions for innovation sector with tourism flow in 2014 and tourism flow in 2018. The tourism flow of 2014 and 2018 were about whole region, similarly were done for the financial recourses.

The second main regression was about the relationship of the level of innovativeness with the tourism stream of 2018.

2.6 Benchmarking

Several definitions for benchmarking exist all over the world. Some of them are:

· Benchmarking is a systematic activity on the part of a certain subject in identifying and practically using experience (both positive and negative) BF Cooper, A Silberstein, (2010), Benchmarking cloud serving systems with YCSB

· Benchmarking is a continuous search of new ideas and use of them on practice

· Benchmarking is a measurement technique and analysis, which can be used by the organization to search for advanced experience inside and outside the organization in order to improve its activities DW Vorhies, NA Morgan - Journal of marketing, (2005), Benchmarking marketing capabilities for sustainable competitive advantage

· Benchmarking can be applicable to strategy, policies, operations, processes, products and organizational structures

· Benchmarking is the process of identifying, studying, and adapting the best practices and experiences of other organizations to improve the activities of our own organizations (organizations with similar processes in their industry, regardless of industry, in their own country or abroad) Skelton, Melissa. (2003) The Continuing Value of Benchmarking. - APQC

· Benchmarking is an approach to planning the company's activities, which involves a continuous process of evaluating the level of products, services, and work methods, which opens, studies and evaluates the best in other organizations in order to use the knowledge gained in the work of their organization Tim Stapenhurst. (2009) ,The Benchmarking Book: A How-to-Guide to Best Practice for Managers and Practioners. --London: Elsevier Ltd

· Benchmarking is the process of evaluating products, services, and methods by comparative analysis with the most serious competitors or with partners, or organizations recognized as leaders in their field G Anand, R Kodali - Benchmarking: An international journal, (2008), Benchmarking and the benchmarking models

Benchmarking was chosen to identify and analyze the most successful practices in technological, organizational and social innovations. It is a method that will allow me to objectively evaluate and compare the best practices that are done in terms of innovations in several countries that potentially are competitors in tourism for Greece and see what could have been done in the country.

Firstly, I found which the counties that mostly travel to Greece are. Through Hellenic Statistical Authority I found the statistics which were proving which are the countries that travel the most to Greece. After that I could easily specify which the main tourism competitors of Greece among those tourists are. As an example, Russian Federation is among the top 5 tourists in Greece. After that, we can easily presume that potential competitor, in terms of tourism, is Turkey because Russian tourists choose Turkey as their main tourism destination.

After this, I choose three innovations from every category (technological, social and organizational) in several countries and I wrote down their best practices in innovative products sector. After this I make some tables about best practices for every innovative product that I found and which whish best practices could possibly implemented and will be the most applicable into Greek tourism sector.

2.7 Setting Recommendations by specific criteria

Firstly I set specific criteria, to evaluate specific innovations and after this based on my results and on the innovative products I set specific recommendations generally for Greece and specifically for some of the regions.

Moreover, before setting specific recommendations I take into account the time needed to implement, the financial investment that it needed, the non-financial investment to implement it (e.g. Human resources, time, efforts) and all my findings from research (best practices from Benchmarking, graphics etch).

Finally, I gave recommendations and make results from all my research:

Table 4 Methodology and its goal

Methods	Goal
Collecting several data in Excel	Collecting main information about innovations
Analyzing several sites	Finding statistics, keywords, useful information
Google trends	Finding the interest over time and tendency
Benchmarking	Best practices from other countries
Istio.com	Keyword analysis
Similar web and word stream	Finding the concrete word for helping me with Google trends
Regressions	Checking the relationship among two or more different variables

Подобные документы

• The travel and tourism sector

  Historical development in travel and tourism industry, its structure. The impact of national economic policy in Scotland for success in this area. The function of government, state bodies in the industry. Factors affecting tourism demand in the country.
  
  реферат [13,2 K], добавлен 11.11.2015
  

• Domestic tourism in Russia

  The value of domestic tourism for the Russian economy: an increase in jobs in hotels, restaurants, food industry and transport. Stages of development of domestic tourism in post-revolutionary and Soviet periods. Treatment, athletic and business tourism.
  
  реферат [20,0 K], добавлен 04.03.2012
  

• Tourism in Switzerland

  Official statistics of tourism in Switzerland. Notable tourist destinations: Alpine (Grisons, Engadin, Davos, Wildhaus, Jungfrau, Grindelwald, Zermatt) and Cities (Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Canton Ticino, Locarno, Lugano, Ascona).
  
  реферат [2,3 M], добавлен 13.03.2015
  

• Importance of international tourism services in the world market

  A specific feature of services. The main form of supply of services abroad. A need for international regulation of trade in services. Operations on foreign tourism. International tourism as a form of foreign economic activity. World Tourism Organization.
  
  реферат [1,2 M], добавлен 30.09.2014
  

• Eco-tourism in Finland

  Finland is a wonderful Nordic country and a priority of tourists which can estimate the nature. Progress of eco-tourism in Finland. The unique lakes and wildelife are objectives of travelers. New Year in Finland, which is the home of Santa Claus.
  
  презентация [1,5 M], добавлен 17.06.2013
  

• Tourism regulation in United Kingdom

  Tourism as an invisible export. The British Tourist Authority and the English Tourism Council. The competition between National Bus and private companies. The Act about wholesale de-regulation. The Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations.
  
  презентация [785,1 K], добавлен 31.03.2014
  

• Incentive Tour

  Psychology of the incentive. Benefits of Incentive Travel. Group and Individual Incentives. Cruise Incentives. Travel incentives are a reward subset of an incentive, recognition or a loyalty program. The growing importance of religious tourism.
  
  реферат [19,3 K], добавлен 26.12.2013
  

• Cities of Canada

  General information about geography and population of Canada. Ontario as one of the provinces of the country. Place of the tourism in the economy of Quebec. Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. Natural beauty of British Columbia. The Vancouver Maritime Museum.
  
  контрольная работа [4,0 M], добавлен 30.09.2012
  

• Argentina - main tourist destinations

  Consideration of geographical location, topography, climatic conditions in Argentina. Introduction to the country's main tourist attractions - museums in Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls. Walking through the city of Mendoza and hiking in the Andes mountains.
  
  презентация [8,7 M], добавлен 02.12.2011
  

• Рассмотрение деятельности гостиничного предприятия на примере турфирмы "Саят Travel"

  Характеристика деятельности ТОО "Саят Travel". Рассмотрение особенностей работы туристского предприятия, договорных отношений фирмы. Проведение маркетинговых исследований, анализ фирм-конкурентов. Ознакомление с рекламно-информационной деятельностью.
  
  отчет по практике [127,6 K], добавлен 14.04.2015
  

• главная
• рубрики
• по алфавиту
• вернуться в начало страницы
• вернуться к началу текста
• вернуться к подобным работам