Aim:
This research aims to conceptually present the adaptive dynamic capabilities necessary for tourism micro-firm owner/ managers to develop senior tourism offerings into the off-peak season. Accordingly, a theoretical knowledge framework will be developed to aid tourism micro-firms to move from their current level of operation (ordinary capabilities), to a desired future state of enhanced competitiveness (dynamic capabilities).
Background and rationale:
The Irish tourism sector has rebounded from the effects of the fiscal turbulence experienced during 2008-2011. 2015 was the fifth successive year of growth for international tourism numbers to Ireland, making it ‘a record year for Irish tourism’ (Department of Transport Tourism and Sport, 2016: p. 2). However the tourism sector is undergoing a paradigm shift in the short to medium term. Capacity constraints are constricting future economic growth and trading patterns are biased towards the peak season which is at saturation point (Fáilte Ireland, 2014; 2016). Therefore a balanced tourism year is necessary to facilitate planned future growth and a means of achieving this is through the vehicle of senior tourism. However this demographic sector is an under-studied phenomenon (Meltem and Tahir, 2014; Kim et al., 2015; Alén et al., 2014) and there is a paucity of research as to how micro-firms orientate themselves to pursue such a revenue stream. Seniors are growing in importance due to their rising numbers, relative affluence, and flexible travel schedules (Sudbury and Simcock, 2009; Le Serre and Chevalier, 2012; Ward, 2014). A dynamic capabilities lens, refocused through an adaptive capabilities filter, has direct relevance to exploring this senior tourism phenomenon by promoting economically significant change (Helfat and Winter, 2011), and making appropriate strategic adjustments in response to external stimuli (Schindehutte and Morris, 2001). Adaptive capabilities which are a component of dynamic capabilities (Wang and Ahmed, 2007), enable a firm to assimilate the economic influences within the external environment, in turn leading to the identification and maximisation of nascent business opportunities (Biedenbach and Müller, 2012).
Methodology:
This research will adopt a conceptual theoretical development focus, utilising secondary research to integrate several diverse but inter-related literature strands. These strands encompassing dynamic and adaptive capabilities, tourism, senior tourism and culture and heritage, will inform the basis of a coherent research strategy to explore the phenomenon of senior tourism adaptive capabilities.
Key results and contributions:
The tourism sector has a low propensity for the development of inventive processes and services (Camisón and Monfort-Mir, 2012) and small firms within the industry remain under-researched (Thomas et al., 2011). As such, this research will address pertinent research and knowledge gaps in senior tourism (Meltem and Tahir, 2014; Kim et al., 2015; Alén et al., 2014) and more acutely so from an Irish perspective (Ward, 2014). Furthermore, the research has implications for both policy and practice in terms of generating a knowledge framework for micro-tourism firms (Reinl and Kelliher, 2014) and especially those within the culture and heritage domain.
(References available upon request)
