Abstract for the 22nd Nordic Symposium in Tourism and Hospitality Research: Innovation and value creation in experience-based tourism

Destination development through storytelling focused on maritime culture

Anna Karin Olsson

University West

Within recent years, competition among destinations has escalated hence also the need for well-coordinated tourism offerings. Calls have been made for innovative offerings that are coordinated to contribute to overall destination development (Morgan, Pritchard & Piggott, 2003). At many destinations a large number of various stakeholders from private, public and voluntary sectors interact (see Garrod, Fyall, Leask, & Reid, 2012; Getz, et al., 2007). These stakeholders are often involved in different networks accordingly there is a need of coordination of the offerings of destinations. Earlier tourism studies furthermore show that networks are crucial since successful destinations are based on interrelated stakeholders that understand the concept of the destination and are committed to cooperate in offering a holistic experience to visitors (see Bornhorst, Ritchie & Sheehan, 2010; Morgan, Elbe, & Curiel, 2009; Swarbrooke, 2001).

Storytelling has gained attention as an innovative means of competitive destination marketing as stories can give emphasis to the unique aspects of a place or a destination which often are difficult to replicate by others (Mossberg & Johansen 2006; Mossberg, et al. 2010; Olsson, Therkelsen & Mossberg, 2013). The storytelling concept is applied in business studies related e.g. business culture, personnel, management, consumers, brands, and advertisements (Mossberg & Johansen, 2006). This paper however focus on storytelling linked to marketing concepts of a destination i.e. destination based storytelling. Authentic events or characters though also fictive characters are the main ingredients of story-based marketing concepts e.g. Arn’s footsteps (Mattsson & Praesto, 2005), Astrid Lindgren’s World (Eide, 2011) and the Medieval Week on Gotland (Gustafsson, 2002; Sandström, 2005). Storytelling may offer unique competitive advantages and the opportunity to create storyscapes (Chronis, 2005, p. 389) and offerings as memorable extraordinary experiences (Mossberg, 2008) that stimulate the senses of visitors e.g. involving seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting. Furthermore storytelling may also create conditions for co-operation among destination stakeholders. In this study storytelling is viewed as strategic experiential approach for destination marketing. This approach may unite networks and stakeholder cooperation hence acts as a strategic compass that directs internal and external destination development (Fog, Budtz, Munch & Blanchette, 2010).

Today there is an increasing interest for exploring and /re/development of waterways sites with surrounding areas used for leisure, recreation and tourism. Many destinations encourage development of waterfront festivals and events as well as other activities both water-based and land-based (Erfurt-Cooper, 2009).

The aim of this paper is to provide an explorative case study of destination based storytelling here limited to maritime culture and more specifically the strategic use of storytelling and stakeholder co-operation around canals, inland waterways and coasts within a Nordic context.

The data collection includes a combination of different methods: interviews with main stakeholders, collection of existing documents related to the selected regions, and observations of storytelling events.

The study is ongoing but so far a few stakeholders are interviewed and their insights in how to cooperate in order to develop destinations by means of storytelling are gained. Potential findings point out the importance of strategic co-ordination of offerings and various involvement and management of stakeholders in destination-based storytelling.