Description
Title:
Connectionisation in Tourism: Innovating Destination Management through Open Data by Private Sector – The Fukui Model –
Author’ name:
Hirokazu Kobayashi
Affiliation addresse:
Kokugakuin University,
3-22-1 Shin-Ishikawa Aoba-ku Yokohama-shi Kanagawa Japan 225-0003
E-mail:
h_kobayashi@kokugakuin.ac.jp
Purpose
The integration of information and communication technology plays a crucial role in the development of tourism and destination management. This study focuses on how digital data and smart tourism, gaining significant interest (Buhalis & Amaranggana, 2013; Gretzel et al, 2015), are transforming the management of destinations. Particularly noteworthy is the role of open data in fostering collaboration among stakeholders and spurring innovation. European initiatives, such as Directive 2003/98/EC and the European Data Act, highlight data as a vital resource for economic growth, innovation, and social progress. Japan, too, has seen a push for open data through government strategies like the Open Government Data Strategy starting in 2012. However, such efforts, primarily led by public administration, have yet to fully capitalize on innovation or economic benefits (Ferraris et al, 2020). Furthermore, given the escalating scholarly interest in understanding tourism's effects on local communities, the significance of collaborative partnerships among public, private, and civic sectors in tourism has become increasingly paramount (Destinations International Foundation, 2021). This calls for innovative solutions that extend beyond traditional connections between destinations and markets, encompassing regional stakeholder networks to realize sustainable development of destinations. However, although it has been pointed out that the fundamental changes in tourism due to digital transformation should be considered (Gusakov et al, 2020), there has been little discussion about the dynamics of open data in creating such connections in concrete terms. This study aims to explore two main questions:
- What types of open data are generated and utilized by the private sector at the initiative of the private sector?
- How does the use of open data affect traditional methods of tourism development and destination management?
Research Approach
Given the scarcity of case studies focusing on open data initiatives spearheaded by the private sector, this investigation adopts an exploratory case study approach. Recognizing the design for an exploratory study should state this purpose as well as the criteria by which an exploration will be judged successful (Yin, 2009, p.22), this study articulated precise research questions described above.
Research Methods
The study examines a trailblazing consortium in Fukui, Japan, poised to leverage its proximity to Tokyo via the Shinkansen for pioneering open data-driven destination management. This collaborative venture, possibly a first in Japan, involves a DMO and private entities, integrating tourism data on platforms like GitHub. A key consortium member is an 'Open Data Evangelist' from Sabae in Fukui. The small local city has been a forerunner in open data adoption in Japan. It focuses on the consortium's innovative approaches from June 2022 to December 2023 through literature review and interviews.
Key Findings
The consortium's open data initiative includes eight datasets; 1) tourist flow with sensors, 2) accommodation bookings, 3) museum visits, 4) tourist survey, 5) Point of Sales data, 6) payment data by digital coupon system, 7) Google business profile, 8) number of visitors offered by a third party. A noteworthy event was the hackathon 'Create the Next Generation of Tourism,' aimed at devising solutions for tourism challenges using open data. It drew participation from various demographics, including students and non-tourism professionals. Furthermore, in Fukui's Awara Onsen area, collaboration with the local Ryokan Association led to the extraction and web publication of comprehensive accommodation data from 10 out of 15 members. The data sets(above #2) extracted from each ryokan's Property Management System were published on the website called FUKUI Tourism Data Analyzing System, including eight types of data such as average room rate, total number of guests, number of occupied rooms, etc. Such efforts led to the timely creation of regional joint sales promotion ideas and provided each inn's management with valuable insights through comparisons with their own data.
In this context, the comprehensive utilization of open data by private sector entities facilitates the formation of collaborative partnerships with a broad spectrum of stakeholders. This approach is conceptualized as the 'Fukui Model' within the scope of this study. Furthermore, this study coined 'connectionisation' to denote a wider, evolved network of stakeholder relationships, melding regional ties and the classic tourism host-guest dynamic to bolster social capital. It reveals tourism's potential to thrive on and contribute to greater stakeholder interconnectivity to open data led by the private sector.
References
Buhalis, D. & Amaranggana, A. (2013) Smart Tourism Destinations. In: Xiang, Z. & Tussyadiah, I. (Eds) Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2014 (pp. 553–564), Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Destinations International Foundation (2021) A Strategic Road Map for the NEXT Generation of Destination Organization, Available at: https://destinationsinternational.org/sites/default/files/Desti
nationNEXT_2021FuturesStudy_FINAL2.pdf [Accessed 28th January 2024].
Ferraris, A., Santoro, G., & Pellicelli, A. C. (2020) “Openness” of public governments in smart cities: removing the barriers for innovation and entrepreneurship. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 16, 1259-1280.
Gusakov, A. A., ul Haque, A., & Jogia, A. V. (2020) Mechanisms to support open innovation in smart tourism destinations: Managerial perspective and implications. Polish Journal of Management Studies, 21(2), 142-161.
Gretzel, U., Sigala, M., Xiang, Z., & Koo, C. (2015). Smart tourism: foundations and developments. Electronic markets, 25, 179-188.
Yin, R. K. (2009) Case study research: Design and methods Third edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
