Knowledge Applications for Competitive Destinations: a visitor Experience Value Chain Approach1

5. EXECUTION…THE KEY TO SUCCESS

The development of sub strategies will be guided by the overall strategic direction and critical success targets. The following core elements will elaborate the strategic measures in much greater detail. The objective is that this work phase will convert the National Tourism Strategy into practical, deployable and implementable modules for the action phase of the process.





It will be essential to utilize a performance measurement system to monitor progress toward meeting growth targets and value chain outcomes.



The tourism industry is the largest productive sector and most important contributor to the Jordanian economy. It is essential to execute the National Tourism Strategy (NTS) through a private sector-led effort with the full support for all stakeholders. The Government of Jordan has approved the strategy outlined here and has allocated funding over the next 5 years for its implementation.

Action plans have been developed to guide marketing, product innovation, human resource development, and institutional and regulatory reform. Each action plan includes a goal, justification, actions, responsible bodies, time frame, budget, and expected results. The budget for 2005 and 2006 is based on the recommended government allocation of two percent of receipts for marketing, one percent of receipts for product innovation, and one percent of receipts for human resource development.

Knowledge Management Research Issues


There are some specific knowledge management research issues that need to be addressed in order to facilitate to use of a value chain approach to enhance the competitiveness of a tourism destination:

1. 
   How can we develop the skilled destination management professionals needed to develop and access value chains at the local, regional, national and global levels?
   

2. 
   What are the most effective options or interventions for upgrading a destination’s competitiveness-- acquire new knowledge intensive competencies for private sector firms; government facilitation through legislative, regulatory or executive governance; fostering resource development and capacity expansion, among others?
   

3. 
   How can knowledge workers in developed countries who possess needed know how and skills help to build capacities of knowledge workers in poor countries-- short term technical assistance, telecommunications and other cost effective approaches?;
   

4. 
   How can information and communication technology (ICT) play a more effective role— for example, CAD (computer aided design), EDI (electronic data interchange, CRM (customer relationship management), data mining and web usage—for B2B, B2C and B2G systems?
   

5. 
   What tools and strategies can be utilized for integrating small and micro businesses into value chains at all levels in order to improve their competitiveness?
   

6. 
   How can the tourism value-creating system be improved through collaborative activities in which suppliers, business partners, allies, and customers work together to co-produce value?
   

7. 
   Can the adoption of national certification and quality assurance schemes building upon private sector standards be used for product enhancement, promotion and marketing by leading to increased market opportunities though (a) improved
   

8. 
   linkages with supply chain operators or corporate social responsibility channels or (b) direct access to consumer markets that care about social and environmental standards.
   

9. 
   How can the value chain approach be used as a framework for knowledge management (KM) infrastructure (knowledge worker recruitment, knowledge storage capacity, customer/supplier relationships), the KM process (knowledge acquisition, knowledge innovation, knowledge protection, knowledge integration, and knowledge dissemination), and KM interactions/performance?
   

It is hoped that this brief overview of the value chain approach will help to define ways in which knowledge management can help to enhance destination competitiveness.