Business clusters formation as a means of improving competitiveness in the tourism sector

Abstract

Business Clusters became foreground of economic thought in the 90s due to Michael Porter’s research work, who argued that the most successful export companies belong to group of enterprises of the same industry that are geographically close to one another. This issue became even more acute because of the globalisation of the economy and the need to plan and implement policies aiming mainly at strengthening the competitiveness of small and medium sized enterprises. Tourism, as an economic activity, includes a wide range of small and medium enterprises engaging in various sectors of it. It is argued that business clusters within the field of tourism economics define de facto the competitiveness of a tourist destination. Business clusters of small and medium enterprises which operate in a tourism destination are a prerequisite contributing to its competitiveness. Especially in Greece, it is alleged that clusters can maximise the abilities offered by technology, new markets and other external factors and contribute to the strengthening of competitiveness in the tourism industry.