Innovation-Led Policy Pathways and Tourism Competitiveness : Building Sustainable Recovery in Emerging Destinations
Keywords:
Eco-Innovation, Innovation Policy, SDG’s, Sustainable Tourism, Tourism CompetitivenessAbstract
Tourism innovation has become a central mechanism for driving sustainable economic recovery, especially in emerging destinations navigating post-pandemic transitions. This study investigates how innovation policies influence tourism competitiveness through the Innovation-Led Policy Pathway Framework, focusing on Kerinci District, Jambi Province, Indonesia. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates quantitative analysis of 30 key stakeholders with qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews representing government, academia, industry, and community actors. Quantitative results show that innovation-related factors are significantly correlated, with Innovation Outputs (β = 0.41, p < 0.01) and Enabling Environment (β = 0.32, p < 0.05) emerging as the strongest predictors of tourism competitiveness (R² = 0.59). Reliability coefficients exceeded 0.84 across all constructs, indicating high internal consistency. Qualitative findings reveal that fragmented policy coordination, limited digital literacy, and weak institutional linkages constrain innovation performance, while strong community-based creativity and eco-innovation initiatives serve as major local strengths. The integrated analysis confirms that competitiveness outcomes are achieved when innovation inputs such as human capital and digital readiness are effectively converted into outputs through coherent policies and collaborative governance. The study concludes that innovation-led tourism policies provide a strategic pathway for sustainable recovery and inclusive growth, aligning regional development with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure). It recommends strengthening coordination mechanisms, digital capacity, and eco-innovation standards to institutionalize innovation as a systemic driver of competitiveness in Indonesia’s tourism sector.
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