Open Innovation in the Tourism Industry: A Systematic Review

Rúben Pinhal (), Ana Estima and Paulo Duarte
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Rúben Pinhal: Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP), Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração (ISCA), Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-500 Aveiro, Portugal
Ana Estima: Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies (GOVCOPP), Instituto Superior de Contabilidade e Administração (ISCA), Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-500 Aveiro, Portugal
Paulo Duarte: NECE-Research Centre for Business Sciences, Universidade da Beira Interior, 6200-209 Covilhã, Portugal

Tourism and Hospitality, 2025, vol. 6, issue 3, 1-27

Abstract: Although open innovation is not novel within the business sector, it has recently garnered increasing scholarly interest. However, empirical investigations applying this concept to the tourism industry remain scarce. Despite tourism being one of the most significant contributors to the global economy, it continues to face persistent challenges, including political standpoints. Within this context, implementing open innovation emerges as a potentially transformative strategy. This study examines the application of open innovation to the tourism industry. Drawing upon a detailed analysis of 35 peer-reviewed articles retrieved from the Scopus database, the study adopts the PRISMA methodology to ensure methodological rigor and transparency. Articles were retrieved using a predefined search string: “Open innovation” AND “tourism industry” OR “tourism” OR “hospitality” OR “hotels” OR “leisure”. The selection process followed the PRISMA guidelines and included only peer-reviewed journal articles in English within Business and Economics. The findings reveal that open innovation enables stakeholder collaboration, supports service and experience co-creation, and facilitates digital and organizational transformation across diverse tourism contexts. The analysis shows that recent contributions in this field tend to converge around four key thematic areas: the role of open innovation in enhancing destination branding and experiential value; the importance of stakeholder collaboration and co-creation; the internal dynamics of employee empowerment and innovation culture within tourism firms; and the strategic use of digital technologies to drive transformation and resilience in the face of industry challenges.

Keywords: open innovation; tourism industry; tourism innovation; PRISMA protocol (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z3 Z30 Z31 Z32 Z33 Z38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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