Destination Networks - Theory and practice in four Australian cases

Tourism involves a network of organizations interacting to produce a service. This paper examines the structural properties of interorganizational networks within destinations. Network analysis adopts a whole of destination approach and does not impose predefined groupings on the organization of tourism in a region. Information flows between key agencies provide the basis for analyzing structures and linkages, allowing strategic weaknesses in the cohesiveness of the destination to be addressed by policy and management. The paper outlines four Australian case studies that demonstrate the utility of network analysis by illustrating features such as product clusters, structural divides, and central organizations.