NETWORK ANALYSIS OF A TOURIST DESTINATION

Abstract

This paper relates to the study of relationships within a tourist destination in order to prove the existence of structural models around which the entire supply system is developed. All this is made possible by the analysis of the links existing between businesses belonging to the destination. A useful tool for this purpose is Social Network Analysis (SNA), which provides a series of indicators and techniques to study the complexity of the network of relationships within a tourist destination and allows identifying the existence of a possible reference framework that can characterize the specificity of the destination. Based on the results from a previous analysis carried out in the San Vito Lo Capo area (Iannolino and Ruggieri 2012), we have focused on the role played by three families within the tourist destination assessing their role as an aggregating and driving force. This has been made possible by using one of the tools provided by SNA, namely Ego network analysis. This tool has allowed us to focus our attention on the role that individual businesses belonging to the three main families in San Vito Lo Capo (that we call Ego) play in the management of the destination. In particular, since the network of business relationships at this scarcely developed destination (i.e., in terms of density), the subjects are more likely to form relationships with those individuals who are acknowledged leaders. Within these tighter networks (Ego networks), the entities involved are urged to share norms and values that characterize the Ego and in this sense one can understand why leadership creates the social capital. It is easy to note that each business, when taken alone, cannot manage the entire destination but needs the help and support of the family of belonging to expand its sphere of influence. Only the coordination and cooperation of the three families can create an informal network that supports and sustains the entire destination.