Theoretische Konzeption und empirische Relation eines Referenzmodells der digitalen Kooperation und vertikalen Integration von kleinen und mittleren Unternehmen alpintouristischer Destinationen

The dissertation examines the current social, economic and technological changes in alpine tourism and the implicit need for action to secure potential competitive advantages based on individualised and focused customer interaction. The introduction describes the challenges that destinations and their providers, many of which are small and medium-sized businesses, face. The journey to achieving digital cooperation and the vertical integration of jointly provided and customer-focused services requires new core competencies and a systematic approach.

The present study shows that success in the attainment and exploitation of new competitive advantages will be achieved by those destinations and service providers that interpret and implement tourism as a ubiquitous travel service of the Destination Management Organisation by providing continuous, individual and interactive support to customers. In this context, ICT and the new possibilities that digitalisation offers, which are increasingly customer driven, not only function as a tool for dynamic marketing but also take on an integrative role in the bundling of services. Success depends on the optimal integration of service providers and service users, with a particular emphasis on the synchronisation of power relations in different roles. A strategy which is segmented into sub-areas and an approach that is premised on a design-centred, iterative process can enable vertically integrated and digital forms of cooperation to be configured in the context of the complex interrelationships.

Core competencies, when broken down into four main elements, can generally be summarised as the ability to adapt strategy (long-term perspective) while incorporating dynamic capabilities (medium-term perspective) in order to effectuate new business models through the implementation of business ecosystems (short-term perspective). These competencies include performance integration or product configuration, stakeholder management, leadership, structure and roles, and processes or systems.

The findings point to various conditions that can support the successful configuration of strategic and operational projects at alpine tourism destinations, the integration of operating companies and service providers with a view to the operationalisation of new constructs and the implementation of digital solutions.

The study employs a special technique to examine its topic comprehensively. Relativist statements are combined with technical, social and economic propositions. For practical purposes, this technique enables the identification of the four core elements and interrelationships that were described in the preceding paragraph. The resultant model and the key competencies clarify the basis of a systematic and structured approach to the implementation of new business models and the attainment of the desired competitive advantages.