Related and unrelated variety in a tourism context

Abstract

Although the topic of destination development has received much attention (Haugland, Ness, Grønseth, & Aarstad, 2011), there has been a limited focus on how the composition of an industry structure can influence growth in a tourism region. In this research note we will argue that a tourism destination in a region with abundant related variety (where firms operate in different industries sharing similarities), yet with limited unrelated variety (where firms operate in different industries sharing few similarities), is optimal for growth and development. We will further aim to exemplify how related and unrelated variety can be studied in tourism research.