Title: Stakeholder collaboration based on an innovated tourism product club model - an empirical investigation of the Parenzana product club

Authors: Robert Ribarić; Christian Stipanović

Addresses: Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Rijeka, Primorska 42, p.p. 97, 51410, Opatija, Croatia ' Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, University of Rijeka, Primorska 42, p.p. 97, 51410, Opatija, Croatia

Abstract: The aim of this study is to analyse the potential of a tourism product club, as a form of collaboration, in the development of a tourism product. The study applies a qualitative approach and consists of a theoretical part and an applicative part. Structured interviewing in the field was used to survey 49 respondents and the data were processed using thematic coding and qualitative content analysis. The theoretical part includes a schematic diagram of a tourist product club model that would ensure the competitiveness of an integrated tourism product, drive entrepreneurship and encourage the entrepreneurial activities of stakeholders. The applicative part investigates the possibilities of valorising, for the purposes of tourism, the Parenzana route, which passes through two countries, Croatia and Slovenia. Based on the current state, fundamental objectives are defined that could be accomplished through the synergy of innovated operational strategies, resulting in a highly-developed, integrated tourism product based on the Parenzana product club model.

Keywords: stakeholder collaboration; cross-border collaboration; business model; entrepreneurship; tourism product club; innovations; integrated tourism product; sustainable development; qualitative research; thematic coding; qualitative content analysis; operational strategies; Parenzana.

DOI: 10.1504/WREMSD.2019.103531

World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, 2019 Vol.15 No.5, pp.539 - 559

Received: 15 Sep 2017
Accepted: 11 Oct 2017
Published online: 11 Nov 2019 *

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