Measures of innovation activities in tourism according to CIS survey

Purpose – This paper addresses a series of key questions regarding the role of innovation in tourism industry, and its relation to economic performance and the competitiveness of Croatia with regard to the tourism sector. For detecting and evaluating the impact of innovation activities on tourism sector performance, this paper takes a look at recent statistics on innovation activities in the tourism sector in Croatia and selected countries. The focus is on innovation activities made by enterprises in Sector I - Accommodation and Food Service Activities. Methodology – The majority of the statistical data will be taken from Eurostat and other data sources (UNWTO). Descriptive analysis and correlation analysis were preformed to analyze the data. Research findings and originality – Using the available data from CIS surveys, the paper analyzes the type of innovations by enterprises, estimates the impact on total turnover and tests the intensity of correlation between type of innovations, total Turnover and Receipts relative to GDP (for Croatia and selected countries). The paper analyzes trends in innovation evaluation and effects on employment in tourism. Therefore, it contributes to the existing literature on the effects of innovation in the tourism industry.