Partnerships and Alliances in Tourism: Aims and Functions

Abstract

Purpose - The aim of this chapter is to analyze the aims and functions of partnerships and strategic alliances in the tourism industry by grouping them under subcategories consisting of homogeneous characteristics. The chapter illustrates this issue by presenting a case study on Izmir Convention and Visitors Bureau which is composed of many public and private organizations, thus including a complex structured PPP (public private partnership) member called IZTAV (Foundation of Tourism Presentation of Izmir. Methodology/approach - A literature review with brief cases and examples on the topic of partnerships and alliances in tourism is followed by one case study from Izmir's DMO (destination management organization). Findings - When aims of partnerships and strategic alliances in tourism are analyzed, it becomes clear that it is important to separate it under two subgroups for efficient and meaningful analysis. The separation may be as business-oriented partnerships and destination-oriented partnerships, since their aims and focused resources are quite unique and different from each other. Also, the functions of partnerships and strategic alliances in tourism industry may be subgrouped under four different categories. Research limitations/implications - Time limit is being the first constraint for the data gathering process; it leads to a limited number of samples for the analysis. Also, the analysis is based primarily on secondary data, where primary data usage and application of a quantitative research on the same topic and problem statement is recommended for further studies. Practical implications Strategic partnering in tourism and destination companies/organizations should be innovative and open in their mutual agreements and applications. PPPs and clusters may be effective methods yielding to synergy in strategic partnerships and alliances. Originality/value of paper - The analysis of partnerships and strategic alliances as a means for effective marketing and innovative management applications in tourism industry.