Innovation in Destination Management: social dialogue, Knowledge Management processes and Servant leadership in the Tourism Destination Observatories

The present paper joins the debate on Destination Management with reference to tourism destination that is meant not only as a geographical area with an integrated offer of facilities and attractions for tourists, but also as a cognitive product which derives from the experiential and developmental processes of the territory. Within this context, starting from a model of strategic options for the destination development, the role of the Tourism Destination Observatories (TDO) is examined as a model and a regulating instrument of the complexity of destination and facilitation of knowledge management processes of an area. Such a role is also seen as a change agent in governance processes, based on the social dialogue, on the widespread knowledge, on responsible and shared strategic choices. The Tourism Destination Observatories, which were once organizers of data and information on the territory, have become levers of a new model of area management while being attentive to the cognitive value generated by the interaction between subjects, source of economic and competitive value of the destination. The Observatory as a widespread change agent, capable of creating a model of Destination Management, is no longer ruled by a strategic centre (often a consortium or a public body) but managed by a Knowledge Centre that acts as a promoter and coordinator of a shared developmental process of destination competitiveness. The Tourism Destination Observatory is also a factor of social cohesion and promotion of a service orientation among the different operators and between institutions and citizens, administrations and businesses. The TDO is therefore a prerequisite for the developing and spreading a service culture on the territory which will be beneficial for all the destination users.