BREAKING OUT OF BORING TOURISM PATH DEPENDENCY?

The case of North Jutland, Denmark

Henrik Halkier & Anette TherkelsenAalborg University, Denmark

halkier@cgs.aau.dk – at@cgs.aau.dk

1. Introduction: Path dependency in tourism

2. Finding a new path: From path creation to path

plasticity

3. Tourism in North Jutland: Path dependency and

path plasticity4. Perspectives: Researching tourism path plasticities

PATH DEPENDENCY IN TOURISMLimited innovation despite policy

Limited innovation an oft-repeated claim in tourism research Small actors with limited resources Many public policies addressing this,

Competitive pressure on European destinations growing Cheap flights, also to far-away destinations Internet creates new transperancy for experienced travellers

Need to stimulate change through public policy obvious … but prospects of extensive change seems limited

Henrik Halkier & Anette Therkelsen

FINDING A NEW PATHFrom path creation to path

plasticity

Concept of path dependency well-established System of institutions maintaining direction Firms, regulation, actor behaviour, discourse

Traditional way out: Path creation Sudden change, from outside existing system Focus on big transformations

Alternative: Path plasticity (Simone Strambach) Incremental change in institutions/system Enabled by interpretable ill-enforced institutions Actors within, sometimes external inspiration

Henrik Halkier & Anette Therkelsen

A path-dependency perspective on North Jutland

TIES THAT BIND

Tourists

Providers Regulators

Families with kids, nature-based summer, automobile, neighbouring markets, self-catering, week-based

Civil-society ownership/co-use, life-style entrepreneurs, semi-monopolitistic rental bureaus

National ownership, seaside planning restrictions, marketing

Henrik Halkier & Anette Therkelsen

A path-plasticity perspective on North Jutland

LOOSENING UP?

Tourists

Providers Regulators

No-kid guest, +culture-driven, also more distant markets, flying in, shorter breaks

More innovative SMEs, professionalisation, service innovation, new transport links

More flexible planning, ownership flexibility?, innovation focus in policy, new marketing, coordination of small providers

Henrik Halkier & Anette Therkelsen

PERSPECTIVESResearching tourism path plasticities

Henrik Halkier & Anette Therkelsen

Need for comprehensive approach to destination analysis Interdisciplinary, process-oriented Quantative, qualitative

Key challenges Identifying central systemic institutions (clustering) Exploring the scope for variation within system Longitudinal studies to follow incremental change

Article in German Journal of Economic Geography 2013 More news later … Meanwhile: halkier@cgs.aau.dk, at@cgs.aau.dk