Rethinking sustainable destination development through social innovations

Abstract

Innovation is an inseparable element in the process of curating tourism products that contributes towards creating memorable experiences. Organised mass tourism lags in delivery of such experiences which is based on the contributions of local innovations. The paper tries to document traveller’s memories, particularly those that are easily remembered as happy experiences. The study identified the tourist preferences related to international destinations visited, followed by the identification of social innovations that are crucial for the design of tourist experiences. According to the study, a well-planned tourism experience at a place can promote entrepreneurship and create jobs. The decisions made by tourism business owners might be influenced by both the visitor's experiences and the innovations found. The ability to integrate similar experience designs into product innovation systems will allow managers to create destinations with a competitive edge.