Marriott International: A Critical Analysis of Tourism Innovation

This report provides a critical evaluation of innovation within the tourism, hospitality, and events sectors, with a specific focus on Marriott International. The introduction highlights the importance of innovation for sustainable operations in the dynamic tourism environment. The report defines innovation, differentiates it from invention, and presents a typology of innovation, including product, management, process, logistics, and institutional innovations. It explores theoretical understandings of innovation, such as the Abernathy-Clark and Barcet models, which categorize and analyze different types of innovation and their impacts. The discussion section examines innovation in the tourism industry, emphasizing the influence of information technology and the development of new tourism products. It also presents the advantages of innovation for Marriott International, such as increased competitiveness and enhanced customer loyalty, while acknowledging the challenges the company faces, including high failure rates of new products and services. The report concludes by discussing influencing elements of innovation, including supporting processes, organizational culture, and market orientation, offering a comprehensive overview of the topic.