“Innovation and value creation in experience-based tourism”

Bodø & Lofoten Islands, September 24-27, 2013

Researcher, Lecturer, and PhD Candidate Lidija Lalicic recently headed to the top of the world to attend the 22^nd Nordic Symposium of Hospitality and Tourism Research in Norway. The conference had a spectacular natural location on the Lofoten Islands in the north of the country, where participants could view the Northern Lights dancing overhead.

In this idyllic setting, academics from 13 nationalities gathered to discuss “Innovation and value creation in experience-based tourism”, which directed attention to how tourism firms can find new ways of creating value for tourists and how the industry can develop more superior experiences for tourists. They also focused on how different research areas within organization and management, marketing, psychology, including innovation, learning and entrepreneurship, can be applied to contribute to advances in tourism research. 

As part of the main conference, Lidija participated in a PhD course which encompassed a mix of lectures, student presentations, and discussions related to the topic “Innovation and creation of tourist experiences" within a group of 13 nationalities. The course was organized by Professor Lena Mossberg (School of Business, Economics and Law/University of Gothenburg) and Dorthe Eide, Bodø Graduate School of Business/University of Nordland.

Four international professors provided the main lectures: Deborah Kerstetter of Pennsylvania State University, USA; Philip Pearce of James Cook University, Australia; Søren Askegaard of Syddansk Universitet, Denmark; and Muzzo Uysal of Virginia Tech, USA.

Lidija’s PhD work focuses on co-creation of tourist experiences, and there she presented a conceptual framework about enhancing knowledge in web 2.0 platforms and her PhD framework, co-creation and tourist experiences, and perspectives from the online dialogue.