Seasonal Workers as Innovation Triggers

Abstract

The authors discuss innovation potential in tourism industries and ski resorts in light of migrant seasonal workers. It is argued that seasonal workers may on given occasions be highly important for innovation, in contrast to dominant perceptions of employees in tourism. This is due to some segments of seasonal workers’ unique position as boundary spanners between destinations and communities of practice. One premise for this is that lifestyle work motives and dedication to leisure activities dominates their decision to take on seasonal work. Seasonal workers’ mobilities between destinations render them a role as “vehicles of knowledge flows” and their work position as front-line personnel as well as good knowledge of customer needs, gives them opportunity to disclose weak product elements and transfer knowledge between destinations.