Power in tourism stakeholder collaborations: Power types and power holders

Abstract

Stakeholder collaboration is acknowledged as an important part of tourism destination planning and management. However, not all destination stakeholders have the same level of power and influence in collaborative activities or decision-making, with some groups able to exert more influence over the process. The purpose of this study was to identify and categorise the various types of power that influence stakeholder collaborations in tourism destination planning and management and determine which stakeholder groups hold these powers. A case study approach was adopted and data was collected from publicly available secondary resources. The study results show that four different types of power (coercive, legitimate, induced and competent power) were evident in stakeholder collaborations. Coercive power was mainly held by government and public sector agencies while DMOs and large private organisations were found to hold strong legitimate power. Induced power was exerted by federal, state and local governments; educational institutions and consulting firms tended to possess competent power.