Contratto di rete e turismo: la collaborazione aziendale come driver della competitività del settore e del territorio. Un’analisi delle prime esperienze

Abstract

This work deals with the theme of businesses networks in the tourist sector through the network contract (Italian Law. n. 33 of 9th April 2009 and subsequent modifications). Furthermore it develops several preliminary reflections that have emerged from an analysis of current literature and from empirical research on the role of the network contract in sustaining the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in the tourist sector and at the same time in valorizing the territory. The paper is made up of two main parts. The first presents the theoretical framework focused on forms of inter-firm collaboration which include the network contract. The second part presents the results of the first exploratory investigation into network contracts drawn up in the tourist sector in February 2013 with the aim of identifying, on the basis of the objectives shared by companies, its potential in the tourist sphere and its possible impact on the social and economic fabric of local society. The initial results highlight that today the network contract is not yet widely used in the tourist sector, although recent signs of growth indicate a development in the future. The objectives followed through this tool of inter-firm collaboration are mainly geared towards marketing strategies, integration in the tourist industry, internationalization and promoting the territory which all open up new spaces for economic, social and environmental growth.