The Impact of Creativity and Innovation in the Hospitality Industry on Customers

• Published in: Journal of tourism challenges and trends 2013-06, Vol.6 (1), p.9-33
• Main Authors: Tigu, Gabriela, Răzvar, Anamaria Sidonia, Iorgulescu, Maria Cristina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Business creativity; Business models; Business services; Competition; Competitive advantage; Creative industries; Creativity; Customer relations; Customer relationship management; Customer satisfaction; Customer services; Essay|Book Review |Scientific Life; Hospitality industry; Hotels & motels; Influence; Innovations; Knowledge; Organizational change; R&D; Research & development; Studies; Technological change; Tourism
• ISSN: 1844-9743; 1844-9743

In recent years, academics have shown great interest in studying innovation. However, research of innovation in the hospitality industry is still in its beginnings. Taking this into consideration, after describing innovation in general, the paper presents the main findings on the typology of hospitality innovation, focusing afterwards on the determinants of innovation in hotel organizations. Furthermore, after presenting the importance of innovation-customer relationship, the theoretical framework ends with considerations on technology in the hospitality industry. Given these guidelines, the purpose of the paper is to measure the role of innovation and creativity in the decision to purchase services provided by organizations in the hotel industry. To this aim, a survey was conducted using an online questionnaire distributed to Romanian hotel customers. The pilot study, with 105 respondents, indicates that innovation is one of the factors determining the purchase of hotel services, for the population preferring standardized establishments. Although the study indicates that creativity and innovation in hotel services is important for hotel customer’s satisfaction, the respondents are only somehow willing to pay higher accommodation fees in order to benefit of creative and innovative services. Several conclusions have been drawn.