Article,
The evolution and transformation of a tourism destination network: the Waitomo Caves, New Zealan
Tourism Management, (2003)
Abstract
This paper examines the process of tourism destination evolution and
transformation. The focus is on how the relationships
between organisations can act as a self-organising mechanism for the
destination, with fluidity and change being a critical
component in this process. This paper uses network theory to express
these dynamics, and it emphasises structural features of
architectural density and centrality. Most particularly, the network
approach illustrates how groupings of small firms within
interdependent systems can be self-governing, and show how this process
assists the destination in building tacit knowledge for
competitive advantage that resides in the network structure. The case
context for this illustration is an icon tourism destination in
New Zealand, the Waitomo Caves. This tourism destination has undergone
significant transformation over the last 15 years, from
its single Glowworm Cave attraction to an interdependent network involving
underground adventure caving activities. Because of
this transformation, it provides a distinctive context to explore
these fluid network processes.
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