Ecosystem Model Proposal in the Tourism Sector to Enhance Sustainable Competitiveness

Oscar Morant-Martínez, Cristina Santandreu-Mascarell, Lourdes Canós-Darós and José Millet Roig
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Oscar Morant-Martínez: Ideas UPV, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Cristina Santandreu-Mascarell: Department of Business Organization, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Lourdes Canós-Darós: Department of Business Organization, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
José Millet Roig: Ideas UPV, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 23, 1-15

Abstract: Service companies in developed countries represent 70–80% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In Spain, within the service sector, tourism is the main contributor and is growing annually. This is obviously an opportunity for the country due to its benefits and economic effects but at the same time a well-structured, sustainable and competitive model for its continued development is needed in order to adopt best practices and reference innovative models from other sectors. A qualitative approach using Case Study, Grounded Theory and Delphi Method has been conducted to study the tourism sector in the city of Gandia, Valencia (Spain). Results show that a tourist destination with its different components and stakeholders involved in its value chain can be interpreted as an ecosystem and so reference ecosystem models could be adopted to boost the development of a region. Considering the results obtained, this study can contribute to the development of a tourist destination in a sustainable and innovative way.

Keywords: ecosystem model; tourism; sustainable competitiveness; qualitative (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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