Innovation research in tourism: Research streams and actions for the future

This paper provides an updated review of tourism innovation literature. For this purpose, it builds on a systematic literature analysis that provides a structured and systematic way to analyze previous contributions. Since the last literature reviews on tourism innovation, a plethora of studies highlighting the need for an updated review of current literature has emerged. The findings show that research successfully addressed a variety of research gaps. Essential themes in tourism innovation research were innovation processes, context configurations, knowledge and technology and eco-innovations. However, other research gaps emerged and provide promising directions for future research. First, small and owner-managed enterprises, which show special family dynamics characterize the tourism industry. Thus, more research needs to explore innovation behavior in family firms and particularly the context of micro enterprises. Second, sustainability has become more important and research needs to analyze the role of emerging eco-innovations and consumer-driven innovations in tourism and hospitality. Third, previous research mostly neglected the effects of policy and governance on innovations in tourism. More research is necessary to determine the effects of governance and collaborative governance arrangements on innovation. In conclusion, this systematic literature review provides an up-to-date review of tourism innovation research and an agenda for future research that addresses the nexus of small and micro enterprises and innovations, eco-innovations and the interplay between governance and innovations.