Smart Specialization for Smart Spatial Development: Innovative Strategies for Building Competitive Advantages in Tourism in Slovakia

This paper's novelty is based on the theoretical and empirical interconnections it traces between competitive advantage, innovation, tourism and spatial development. The tourism sector plays an important role in many regional and national economies, as well as in the global economy. It is a dynamic sector with a high potential for creating new jobs and enterprises, and for making a significant contribution to spatial development. Both Slovakia and many other countries have the potential to become attractive tourist destinations. Realising this potential is a real challenge, but innovation, smart specialization and building 'smart' competitive advantage provide opportunities to create new tourist destinations. This paper synthesizes theoretical and empirical research focused on competitive advantage, innovation and tourism and highlights their positive impact on smart and sustainable spatial development. Using those results it proposes an innovative approach to building competitive advantage in tourism. (c) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.