Vientos

In addition to the characteristics of service innovation described above, some more particular aspects of the tourism industry need to be addressed. For one thing, while the division between different types of innovation in tourism are blurry and interdependent, the categorizations is presumed to reflect differences in resource needs and are therefor relevant for this study. While categorization varies in research on innovation in tourism (se e.g. OECD, 2005; Weiermair, 2004; Sundbo and Gallouj, 1998), the main difference from Schumpeter’s typology is the focus on the process of service production and delivery. Related to this, sources of supply are downplayed. This research will follow the four most commonly referred to categories in tourism innovation research: Product, process, marketing and organization.

Product innovations relate to the introduction of new or improved products. As ‘product’ in the tourism industry usually refers to services, product innovation will include significant improvements in how the services are provided, the adding of new elements to already existing services, or the introduction of entirely new services (OECD, 2005).

The start-up of an adventure tourism business often means a valuable addition to the product range of a given destination. In an already existing adventure tourism business, innovation does not necessarily require heavy investments. In a rafting business, much the same equipment and guides can be used if the entrepreneur decides to extend the product portfolio with a new multiday trip in a remote area, or a short family rafting trip on an easy section of the river. The relatively low

investments required to add new products could mean that product innovations are more common within adventure tourism businesses than in other parts of the tourism industry. In their study of innovation in the Balearic Island, Jacob, Tintoré, Aguiló, Bravo and Mulet (2003) found that the tourism sub-sector of leisure and recreation had low levels of innovation but a relatively high level of product innovation.

Buckley (2010:216) has observed three international trends in the development of adventure tourism products, indicating commonalities in product innovation. This includes the development of “larger and more complex multi-activity product portfolios and combo product packages”, the offering of increasingly more upmarket luxury products, and a growing number of tours marketed as expeditions or explorations. While the latter are sold in low numbers, being able to organize such trips symbolizes experience and professionalism (Ibid.).

Process innovations involve initiatives to increase efficiency and reduce costs, either by new or improved service production or in distribution and delivery processes (Jacob et al., 2003). In this research, significant changes in safety routines will also be regarded as process innovation, as this is an important part of the service delivery.

Common process innovation in the tourism industry includes the introduction of new technology such as booking systems or more efficient communication systems. In the adventure industry, technology in the form of satellite telephones and GPSs are also important and efficient tools to increase safety.

Organizational innovations include both new forms of management and new ways of organizing the business. While organizational innovations may not be visible to the tourist, it could mean changes in skills and knowledge resources in the firm, quality improvements and increased efficiency. Since organizational innovations change structures either within the business or in the business’s relationships with external actors, these changes often imply other types of innovation, especially product and marketing innovations (Sørensen and Errebo, 2008:22).

External alliances and partnerships can be a valuable way for micro tourism businesses to increase their resource bases. Jacob et al. (2003:284) distinguish between internal and external organizational management, where innovation of external management relates to “establishment of new relationships with other agents, such as strategic alliances, new types of interfaces, etc., or enlarging the business operations of firms to an international scale”.

As adventure tourism businesses often are part of a wider tourism experience involving other tourism services, one would expect to find adventure tourism businesses collaborating with e.g. hotels, tour operators and other activity providers. A study by Jakobsen and Espelien (2011) found that experience providers in the tourism industry of Norway are becoming increasingly more central in the coupling of tourism businesses.

Market innovations involve the implementation of new marketing methods leading to significant changes in design or packaging, product placement, pricing or promotion (OECD, 2005). The new marketing methods are aiming for either improving sales in existing markets or opening up for new markets.

In their research on innovation in small experience-based businesses, Sørensen and Errebo (2008) found low levels of marketing innovation. The researchers relate the findings to the relatively high expenses in this type of development. A study of adventure tourism businesses in Norway found that the businesses spend few resources on marketing and that they were rarely part of marketing organisations (Yttredal, 2005). The costs of joining tourism organisation could be one reason for this, another could be that a large portion of the Norwegian adventure tourism businesses are aiming for the incentive market (Aas et al, 2006; Yttredal 2005), which is not a main priority for the tourism organisations in Western Norway. While these findings indicate lack of resources or little interest in market innovation at business level, a growing number of tourism destinations have begun to market themselves as an adventure capital (Buckley, 2010; Cater, 2006) or are actively using adventure activities in their destination marketing. Destinations such as Cairns in Australia, Chamonix in France and Voss in Norway have succeeded in using adventure as a marketing tool, and more destinations are following their trail. Such destinations often use the adventure tourism activities to get increased media attention and thereby to strengthen the image and branding of the destination (Cater, 2006). At a national level, Cloke and Perkins (2002) have written an interesting account on how adventure in NZ has been used as a marketing strategy to make the country stand out as a destination offering unique opportunities.

The distinction between the different types of innovations may seem arbitrary. When e.g. a traditional ski destination decides to develop their products and services to become a summer destination, this will most likely lead to a bundle of innovations both in individual businesses and in the form of new alliances in product development and joint marketing. A categorization is still valuable to get a better picture of important focus areas for innovation, and an impression of the resources needed for making changes within these areas.