Touristic SME’s Competitiveness in the Light of Present Challenges—A Qualitative Approach

Abstract

Competitiveness of SMEs (Small or Medium Enterprise) within the tourism field has been of a great interest for many scholars over time. Due to the crisis conditions specific to the present time, the issue of competitiveness becomes a very sensitive one, giving rise to sometimes contradictory points of view. Our research aims to analyze the opinions and perceptions of SME managers in the field of tourism in terms of the concept of competitiveness, how to measure it and sources of competitiveness still viable within the context of the current crisis or specific to it, etc. In order to be able to properly analyze the above, qualitative research was initiated and conducted in the form of an in-depth interview with 42 Romanian SME managers in the tourism field. The results of the study reflect a mature approach of managers in terms of possible new sources of competitiveness—the emphasis on technical solutions capable of managing the socio-medical dimensions of tourism consumer behavior, a prevalence for an organic growth strategy and for additional investments in qualified personnel, as well as online management of most aspects related to services and openness to collaboration within tourism clusters.

Impact of Digitalization on Customers’ Well-Being in the Pandemic Period: Challenges and Opportunities for the Retail Industry

“…Today, customers expect a uniform shopping experience, regardless of the channel chosen [ 5 ]. Their expectation also has consequences for stationary retail [ 42 ].…”

“…Many are still catching up with what they missed with the e-commerce app [ 42 , 43 ]. With the maturing of smartphones and high-speed mobile connectivity, consumers are increasingly experiencing the mobile shift to online shopping by introducing apps that allow online shopping to on-the-go [ 5 , 44 ].…”

“…The current health crisis can lead to long-term changes in customer’s behavior and well-being [ 5 ]. The onset of social isolation and distance connected with technological development produces definite changes in customer preferences on shopping and payments [ 6 ], bringing new advantages but also concerns related to trust and privacy [ 7 , 8 ].…”

Identification of the Relationships between Competitive Potential and Competitive Position of the Food Industry in the European Union

“…Competitiveness is a relative, multidimensional category and one that can be interpreted based on different economic theories as well as on different levels of analysis (e.g., [22][23][24][25][26][27]). This results in numerous interpretative and definition-related approaches to the concept [28][29][30][31].…”

Russian healthcare in the development of medical tourism

“…First. The regularity of medical tourism development can be considered competition in the provision of tourist services between travel agencies and clinics (hospitals), where special units are created [22].…”