Entrepreneurial innovation for cultural tourism development

Tourism is characterized by noteworthy changes regarding both the demand and the innovations in the services aimed to make the tourist experience more and more fulfilling and sustainable. Tourists are today interested in living the journey also as an opportunity to catch the cultural and social aspects of a place. The development of cultural tourism reveals this trend so that both tourist operators and local administrations become aware of the social and economic relevance of enhancing cultural heritage. The aim of this paper is to verify if innovation in hospitality can contribute to cultural tourism development, creating economic, social and cultural value for all stakeholders. The two case studies presented here seem to support the idea that hospitality innovations help cultural tourism development. Innovation arises thanks either to the business idea of the entrepreneur or to the willingness of local administrations to foster convincing ideas.