The role of tradition in developing innovations in the hospitality industry is examined. I describe and discuss the different impacts of tangible and intangible sources of tradition on the development and unique positioning of tourism experiences.

1. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
INNOVATION through TRADITION
Is the past a useful and fruitful source of innovation?
Highlights from the Tourism & Hospitality Industry

2. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
Tourist is changed
YESTERDAY TODAY
Suggestions
Stories
Emotions
Customization
Standardization
Generality
Anonymity
Impartiality

3. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
from ‘CONVENTIONAL’ to ‘UNCONVENTIONAL’
 Travellers skip proposals that lead for beaten
paths
 They look for proposals that allow to escape
the mass
Escape the mass

4. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
 “Living like a local” is increasingly popular,
and cultural travel is experiencing a
renaissance among travellers seeking deep
and personal connections with the people
they meet on the road
Not Tourist, better TEMPORARY RESIDENT

5. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
from ‘ORDINARY’ to ‘AUTHENTICITY’
 Travellers increasingly see local offerings as
a way to ensure meaningful and
transformative travel experiences.
WOW EXPERIENCE

6. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
 Unique itinerary where every part of the
trip has been created individually to suit
own style, taste and budget
To each his own journey, to each his own style

7. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
 Innovation is the generation,
acceptance and implementation of
new ideas, processes, products or
services
 Innovation refers to the process of bringing
any new, problem solving idea into use
 Ideas for reorganizing, cutting cost,
putting in new budgetary systems,
improving communication or assembling
products in teams are also innovations
Is there a link among New Tourism Trends – Innovation – Traditions?

8. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
• Related to tourism and hospitality,
innovations may refer to:
Is there a link among New Tourism Trends – Innovation – Traditions?
PRODUCTS
e.g.:
new hotel services or
new attractions in a
destination
SOURCES OF
SUPPLY
e.g.:
adding new niche tour
operators
NEW
MARKETS
e.g.:
directing existing
destination brands to
attract new markets
NEW WAYS
TO ORGANIZE
A BUSINESS
e.g.:
improvement of tours
using new technologies
that enhance the
experience

9. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
 Tradition refers to the stock of
knowledge, competencies, materials,
manufacturing processes, signs,
values, and beliefs pertaining to the
past
Is the past a useful and fruitful source from which to innovate?

10. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
Tradition involves accumulation of know-
how, symbolic and cultural content, and
micro-institutions of practice handed down
across generations and contributing to
shaping the identity of individuals,
organizations, and territories
Is the past a useful and fruitful source from which to innovate?

11. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
Firms capable of developing an appropriate
set of dynamic capabilities that allow them
to leverage a specific tradition may be able to
create and capture value from innovation
and thus create and nurture competitive
advantage
Is the past a useful and fruitful source from which to innovate?

12. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
• “the creation of any sort of novelty in art,
science, or practical life consists—to a
substantial extent—of a recombination of
conceptual and physical materials that were
previously in existence”
(Nelson and Winter, 1982, p. 130)
The “recombinant perspective”

13. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
• entrepreneurs create value for
customers through the
revitalization, preservation and
strategic repositioning of tangible
and intangible resources of a
specific tradition.
The “recombinant perspective”
Boundary of the firm
Source of
Tradition from
the firm
Search for Sources of Tradition Recombination of Sources of Tradition
Source of
Tradition from
a past industry
Source of
Tradition from
the destination
Source of
Tradition from
a specific time
period
Presenza et al. (2019)

14. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
Sustainability in the kitchen stems from old traditions
• “Novelty is the result of a careful recombination of
components searched over time. New dishes are
always characterized by blending past and present,
tradition and modernity”
From theory to practice.
Ex. 1: Haute Cuisine and traditions
Niko Romito
top Italian chef with 3 Michelin stars

15. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
• Novelty in winery is characterized by a strong combination of tradition and innovation in
terms of products and processes.
• The connection between the wine business and the territory also means a close link with the
traditional and cultural values of the region
From theory to practice.
Ex. 2: Wineries and traditions

16. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
• Products of tourism such as festivals, rituals, dress,
and so on are usually described as authentic or
inauthentic depending upon whether they are made
or enacted by local people according to tradition.
• In this sense, authenticity connotes traditional culture
and origin, and a sense of the genuine.
From theory to practice.
Ex. 3: Events and old traditions

17. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
• It is a ‘Made in Italy’ new model of sustainable development, which aims at the
exploitation of local resources both tangible and intangible
• It is a form of hotel, utilizing traditional and local resources in culturally valuable
surroundings, that offers more of a resident-type lifestyle rather than a tourist-type
lifestyle
From theory to practice.
Ex. 4: Hospitality and old traditions

18. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
• Airbnb i
From theory to practice.
Ex. 5: Attraction and old traditions
• An increasing number of destinations
across the globe are turning sources of
extraction into places of attraction
• Innovative regeneration projects that
are breathing new life into former
industrial wastelands

19. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
• Airbnb is sponsoring a unique opportunity for four people to move to the small village of
Grottole for three months and experience authentic rural life in Italy. Selected candidates
will become temporary citizens of the village and will volunteer for a local non-profit
organisation called “Wonder Grottole” whose aim is to revitalize the town’s historical centre.
From theory to practice.
Ex. 6: New Social Projects and old traditions

20. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
From theory to practice.
Ex. 6: Destination and old traditions

21. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
We don’t need a tradition. We need a strategy!
Following tradition can be disastrous in the business world if some general rules are not
observed

22. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
Rule 1 – NO FAKENEWS! ESTABLISH SOLID ENGAGEMENT WITH
THE REALITY
tourists are putting growing importance to
“authenticity”, a term that connotes traditional culture
and its origin, a sense of genuine, a real and unique
way of life

23. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
Rule 2 - MIXING TRADITION AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES IS THE
WINNING FORMULA FOR SUCCESSFUL INNOVATION
• For any organization to survive and prosper in such
an environment, innovation is imperative.
• However, innovation is no longer just for creating
value to benefit individuals, organizations, or
societies. The ultimate purpose of innovation
should be much more far reaching, helping create
a smart future where people can enjoy the best
quality of life possible.

24. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
from ‘CONVENTIONAL’ to ‘UNCONVENTIONAL’
 Travellers skip proposals that lead for beaten
paths
 They look for proposals that allow to escape
the mass
Escape the mass

25. Prof. Angelo Presenza, webinar February 4- 2019
Angelo Presenza
Prof. of Tourism Management
University of Molise
presenza@unimol.it
GRAZIE!THANKS!
Presenza A., Messeni Petruzzelli A., Sheehan L. (2019),
Innovation Through Tradition. The Italian case of Albergo Diffuso,
Tourism Management, 72, 192–201
REFERENCES