A technology-enabled framework for stakeholder engagement in a destination management system: Evidence from DMS Puglia

In tourism, the presence of different stakeholders, sometimes with conflicting interests, requires a clear understanding of how to manage and engage them effectively. Despite the importance of this topic, tourism studies lack a univocal framework for destinations aiming to develop a destination management system (DMS) focused on empowering stakeholder engagement. To fill this gap, this study aims to identify the key dimensions that can strengthen stakeholder engagement in the tourism sector. Particular attention is given to the role of technology in mediating relationships among DMS participants and to the role of ‘intermediary’ stakeholders in facilitating collaboration and engagement. By adopting a cross-disciplinary approach that integrates stakeholder theory, stakeholder engagement and destination management, and by examining a case study of an Italian best practice, DMS Puglia, a technology-enabled framework for stakeholder engagement in a DMS was elaborated. This study contributes to the advancement of the literature on stakeholder engagement in tourism by demonstrating that the structure and composition of a DMS, and the communication methods it enables, along with the role of the destination management organisation and the preparedness of stakeholders to participate in a DMS, significantly influence stakeholder engagement and can strengthen relationships among participants in a technologically advanced tourism system. This study also provides directions to stakeholder bridges about how to effectively improve stakeholder engagement through technology-focused tools and strategies.