Bridging the Research Gap between Industry and Researchers

Abstract

This article is based on a research presentation made to the February 1993 annual conference of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC). The presentation represents an effort by the Canada Chapter, TTRA, to close the gap that is reported to exist between researchers and potential research users in the travel industry. An actual research study and the differing reactions to it by the prime client, Resorts Ontario, and some of the members of that association provide the basis for the article. The need for dialogue between researchers and users is stressed. The outcome demonstrates that when a meaningful discussion takes place, secondary analysis of data can provide good, usable information for management decisions.

Destination Marketing Organizations and destination marketing: A narrative analysis of the literature

“…These are listed in (WTO, 2002). This is further evidence of the divide between destination marketers and academic researchers, which has been raised many times since the destination marketing literature commenced (see for example Riley & Palmer 1975, Jafari 1984, Taylor, Rogers & Stanton 1994, Baker, Hozie & Rogers 1994, Selby & Morgan 1996, Hall 1998, Jenkins 1999, Ryan 2002, Pike & Schultz 2009). Indeed an important issue in any review of the tourism literature is the extent to which published research relating to practical DMO challenges is actually read by those practitioners who might benefit.…”

“…As noted in the review, the issue of the academic/practitioner divide in tourism research has been lamented by a number of scholars (see Riley & Palmer 1975, Jafari 1984, Taylor, Rogers & Stanton 1994, Baker, Hozie & Rogers 1994, Selby & Morgan 1996, Hall 1998, Jenkins 1999, Ryan 2002, Pike & Schultz 2009. A key question that needs to be asked is 'for how many academics is 'engaged scholarship' (see Van den Ven, 2007) officially recognised for purposes of legitimacy such as tenure, promotion, and academic survival'?…”

How Relevant is Tourism Research?

“…They suggested the benefits of research should therefore be better promoted to industry. Taylor et al (1994) suggested the key to research not ending up collecting dust on a shelf, which they argued was happening to most of what was produced by Canada's tourism academics, lay in improving interpretation and presentation of findings. It could be argued that there is hope for the future in the army of tourism graduates who have emerged in the past decade.…”

Marketing research and small travel agents: An exploratory study

“…has not grown'. 16 Other evidence suggests that the importance of marketing research and the subsequent use of the knowledge generated by it are not generally appreciated by man-agers in the hospitality and tourism industry. Baker et al stated that an important section of tourism research`is neither ef®cient, effective, or accountable [because] .…”