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7
SOCIAL INNOVATION AND
NETWORKING IN TOURISM:
INSIGHTS FROM CASE STUDIES
IN NORTHEAST ITALY
MAURIZIO BUSACCAa, SILVIA SACCHETTIb AND
OLGA TZATZADAKIa
aUni e si y Ca’ Fosca i o Venice, I aly
bUni e si y o T en o, I aly
ABSTRACT
This chap e explo es he ole o ne wo ks in social inno a ion
in ou ism (SIT), ocusing on hei capaci y o os e inclusi e
and sus ainable p ac ices. D awing on he concep o s uc u al
embeddedness, i highligh s how ne wo ks media e be ween
indi idual ac ions and ins i u ional amewo ks. Using a mixed-
me hods app oach, including li e a u e e iew, desk esea ch, and
39 quali a i e in e iews, he s udy analyzes wo case s udies:
Bassano del G appa and he T en ino p o ince. Findings show ha
ne wo ks, pa icula ly hose linked o es i als and local he i age,
enhance collabo a ion, us , and inno a ion ac oss u ban and
u al con ex s. B oke s and s akeholde engagemen eme ge as key
elemen s in shaping e ec i e and esilien ne wo ks. The esea ch
unde sco es he impo ance o balancing inclusi e and specialized
ini ia i es and calls o policies ha suppo communi y-d i en
collabo a ion. Unde s anding how ne wo ks e ol e and gene a e
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Mau izio Busacca e al.
bo h angible and in angible ou comes con ibu es o ad ancing
SIT as a ool o local egene a ion and long- e m communi y
de elopmen . The chap e concludes by highligh ing he heo e ical
and p ac ical implica ions.
Keywo ds: Social inno a ion; sus ainable ou ism; ne wo ks;
es i als; communi y pa icipa ion
INTRODUCTION
The chap e explo es he in e sec ion o SIT, ocusing on he ole ha ne -
wo ks play in os e ing inno a ion wi hin local con ex s. SIT is an e ol ing
ield, wi h signi ican implica ions o bo h social inclusion and sus ainable
ou ism p ac ices. Theo e ical pe spec i es on SIT highligh he impo ance o
ne wo ks as c i ical d i e s o inno a ion, b idging he gap be ween indi idu-
al ac o s and b oade ins i u ional amewo ks. D awing om he concep o
s uc u al embeddedness, he pape a gues ha ne wo ks no only shape indi-
idual ac ions bu also in luence he ou comes o social inno a ion by medi-
a ing be ween mic o-le el beha io and mac o-le el ins i u ional s uc u es.
The esea ch examines wo dis inc geog aphical a eas – Bassano del
G appa and he b oade T en ino p o ince – as case s udies o unde s anding
how ne wo ks ope a e in egions a ying deg ees o social and ins i u ion-
al suppo . Bassano del G appa, wi h i s ich cul u al he i age and g owing
ou ism sec o , o e s a compelling case o s udying how local ac o s, ang-
ing om businesses o communi y o ganiza ions, c ea e ne wo ks ha sup-
po e ol ing sus ainable ou ism p ac ices based on he alo iza ion o local
cul u al he i age and social inclusion. The T en ino p o ince, enowned o
i s na u al beau y and es ablished ou ism in as uc u e, p o ides a di e -
en pe spec i e. He e, he ocus is speci ically on es i als, which se e as an
impo an ocal poin o he esea ch. In e iews wi h es i al o ganize s and
ela ed s akeholde s in he T en ino a ea o e aluable insigh s in o how ne -
wo ks a e o med, main ained, and le e aged o c ea e inno a i e cul u al
and ou ism expe iences. Fes i als in his egion play a cen al ole in connec -
ing local ac o s and acili a ing collabo a ion, making hem an ideal case o
s udying he ope a ional dynamics o ne wo ks in ou ism.
Th ough hese case s udies, he pape explo es how ne wo ks in luence
he adop ion o SIT, highligh ing he impo ance o bo h o mal and in o mal
ne wo ks, he ole o b oke s in connec ing disconnec ed ac o s, and how he
densi y o ne wo ks impac s coope a ion, us , and inno a ion. The indings
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Social Inno a ion and Ne wo king in Tou ism
o e a deepe unde s anding o how local ne wo ks in ou ism can be ha -
nessed o os e social inno a ion, c ea ing a mo e sus ainable and inclusi e
ou ism indus y in bo h Bassano del G appa and he T en ino p o ince.
FRAMING STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT WITHIN
SOCIAL INNOVATION
Social inno a ion and s akeholde in ol emen a e essen ial o egene a ing
local con ex s, e i alizing communi ies, and p omo ing sus ainable de elop-
men . Social inno a ion s a s by iden i ying communi y-speci ic challenges,
such as economic decline o social inequali y, and de eloping ailo ed solu-
ions o add ess hem (Moulae e al., 2013; Nicholls & Mu dock, 2012). By
in ol ing communi y membe s in c ea ing new se ices o ini ia i es, social
inno a ion os e s empowe men , esilience, and long- e m sus ainabili y
(F anz e al., 2012). I also con ibu es o economic e i aliza ion by suppo -
ing communi y-based en e p ises and social en ep eneu ship, which c ea e
jobs and a ac in es men (De ou ny & Nyssens, 2010). Fu he mo e, social
inno a ion enhances cul u al and social e i aliza ion by p ese ing local a-
di ions, boos ing communi y p ide, and os e ing cohesion (Manzini, 2015).
S akeholde in ol emen complemen s social inno a ion by ensu ing ha
di e se local ac o s – esiden s, businesses, and local au ho i ies – a e included
in decision-making (F eeman, 2010; G eenwood, 2007). In ol ing s ake-
holde s om he s a ensu es ha egene a ion ini ia i es a e suppo ed by
he communi y and a e mo e likely o be sus ained o e ime (Reed e al.,
2009). The collabo a i e app oach be ween social inno a ion and s akehold-
e in ol emen ensu es ha solu ions a e deeply oo ed in he communi y’s
needs, making hem mo e ele an and impac ul (Cajaiba-San ana, 2014).
Sha ed owne ship and esponsibili y enhance he success and sus ainabili y o
hese ini ia i es (Sø ensen & To ing, 2011).
Key a iables d i e he success o social inno a ion, including iden i y-
ing communi y needs, engaging s akeholde s, and mobilizing esou ces
such as inance, human capi al, and ma e ial asse s (Mulgan, 2006). Engag-
ing di e se s akeholde s ensu es ha solu ions align wi h he communi y’s
desi es, inc easing accep ance and he likelihood o success ul implemen a-
ion (Sacche i & Bo zaga, 2021). Collabo a ions ac oss public ins i u ions,
p i a e en e p ises, and communi y g oups a e c ucial o pooling esou ces
and expe ise (Sø ensen & To ing, 2011).
Social inno a ion, when combined wi h s akeholde in ol emen , c ea es
a amewo k ha os e s holis ic egene a ion. The in eg a ion o g ass oo s
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ini ia i es, o ganiza ional compe encies, and a deep unde s anding o com-
muni y needs p omo es economic sus ainabili y and new ways o li ing and
hinking. Analyzing his p ocess om a social inno a ion pe spec i e e eals
how s akeholde in ol emen os e s he e a chical o ganiza ions (S a k,
2009), whe e decision-making and esou ces a e dis ibu ed ac oss ne wo ks
o ac o s and he local communi y (Da Roi & Busacca, 2024). S udying hese
ne wo ks and hei in e ac ions wi h he communi y helps unde s and he
ope a ional mechanisms unde lying success ul social inno a ion.
METHODOLOGY
The esea ch me hodology adop ed in his s udy is a mixed me hods app oach
ha iangula es li e a u e e iew, seconda y da a, and quali a i e da a, all
cen e ed a ound he concep o ne wo ks, pa icula ly wi hin he con ex o
SIT in he Bassano del G appa e i o y and he T en ino p o ince. The s udy
began wi h a heo e ical explo a ion o he opic o SIT, ocusing on he main
ends and eme ging mic o- ocus a eas wi hin he sec o . This ini ial phase
in ol ed he collec ion o key heo e ical amewo ks and concep s, which
p o ided a ounda ion o unde s anding how ne wo ks play a ole in d i ing
inno a ion and collabo a ion. The explo a ion also included iden i ying c i i-
cal challenges and oppo uni ies, shedding ligh on he e ol ing dynamics and
he impac o ne wo ked collabo a ions in he ou ism indus y.
In addi ion o he heo e ical explo a ion, a desk analysis was conduc ed,
examining ins i u ional epo s on ou ism in hese speci ic geog aphical a e-
as (DMP Te e Vicen ine, 2016; Vene o Tou ism S a egic Plan 2022–2024,
2022; DMO Vene o egional o ien a ions, 2024). This helped o iden i y
egional policies, s a egies, and challenges ha in luence ne wo k dynamics
and he b oade con ex o ou ism de elopmen . The desk esea ch also p o-
ided a conc e e backd op o he empi ical indings, g ounding hem in he
eal-wo ld con ex o Bassano del G appa and T en ino.
The hi d componen o he me hodology in ol ed in-dep h in e iews
wi h local s akeholde s engaged in SIT ini ia i es and he alo iza ion o
local cul u al he i age. Fo he Bassano del G appa a ea and i s su oundings,
12 in e iews we e analyzed h ough hei ep esen a i es. Fo he T en ino
egion, 3 es i al o ganiza ions loca ed in bo h u al and u ban a eas we e
in ol ed in an in-dep h in e iew p ocess wi h in e nal and ex e nal s ake-
holde s (27 in e iews). These in e iews we e designed o ga he i s -hand
insigh s in o how ne wo ks ope a e on he g ound, wi h a pa icula ocus
on how ac o s collabo a e, sha e esou ces, and co-c ea e ini ia i es a ound
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social inno a ion and local he i age. The ep esen a i es and key wi nesses o
hese ini ia i es p o ided aluable pe spec i es on he challenges hey ace and
he s a egies hey employ o build and sus ain e ec i e ne wo ks, emphasiz-
ing he impo ance o us , sha ed goals, and long- e m coope a ion.
CASE STUDIES
We ha e chosen he wo case s udies we a e going o in oduce in his sec-
ion o hei capaci y o explo e he ela ionship be ween social inno a ion,
ne wo ks, and local communi ies. The i s case, Bassano del G appa, ocuses
on he unc ioning o he ne wo k pe se; he T en ino case del es in o he
ela ionship be ween ne wo k and local communi y.
BASSANO DEL GRAPPA
In he Bassano del G appa own and su oundings, social ne wo ks play a
c ucial ole in shaping communi y ini ia i es, os e ing collabo a ion, and
d i ing local de elopmen . The ollowing sec ion illus a es how bo h o mal
and in o mal ne wo ks ha e con ibu ed o he a ea’s g ow h and ib ancy.
Th ough in e iews, we unco e he impo ance o c ea ing and nu u ing
ela ionships be ween local ac o s, businesses, and cul u al o ganiza ions.
The sec ion highligh s how he s eng h o hese ne wo ks, buil on us and
sha ed goals, enables inno a ion, enhances communi y engagemen , and c e-
a es a las ing impac . The insigh s sha ed o e a deepe unde s anding o how
Bassano’s ne wo k-d i en cul u e con ibu es o he g ea e a ea’s dynamic
and in e connec ed ecosys em.
THE POLICY CONTEXT
O e he yea s, Bassano del G appa has de eloped a dis inc and o iginal
ne wo k DNA, which has been signi ican ly os e ed by p ojec s such as he
Ope aEs a e Fes i al and a ious communi y-d i en ini ia i es. This unique
cha ac e is ic o he ci y, buil on collabo a ion and sha ed alues, has e ol ed
h ough a ious ac i i ies and p og ams, wi h he Fes i al playing a cen al
ole in suppo ing hese e o s.
The Ope aEs a e Fes i al, ounded in 1981, has been ins umen al in os-
e ing a cul u al ne wo k ha spans he en i e egion. By wo king in close
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collabo a ion wi h local ins i u ions, he Fes i al has helped o s eng hen he
ci y’s cul u al policies and p omo e local ini ia i es. I is no jus an a is ic
e en bu also a ca alys o c ea ing connec ions be ween he public, p i a e,
and cul u al sec o s. The Fes i al has also demons a ed he ci y’s long-s and-
ing commi men o cul u al inno a ion, as e idenced by i s collabo a ion wi h
se e al local adminis a ions o e i s 34 yea s. These pa ne ships ha e c e-
a ed a las ing impac on he communi y and con inue o enhance Bassano’s
epu a ion as a cul u al hub.
Fu he mo e, he Musei Ci ici di Bassano, wi h hei ich his o y and
collec ions, ha e also played a ole in solidi ying he ci y’s cul u al policies
and i s connec ion wi h he b oade communi y. The museum’s con inuous
expansion and communi y dona ions e lec a commi men o p ese ing and
sha ing Bassano’s he i age, suppo ing bo h local p ide and cul u al ou ism.
In addi ion o hese ins i u ions, o he ini ia i es ha e con ibu ed o he
ci y’s collabo a i e spi i . Fo ins ance, in 1999, he Ci adinanza e Volon a i-
a o ini ia i e was launched, engaging local you h in p ojec s ha would la e
empowe hem o ake on leade ship oles in a ious sec o s o Bassano, such
as wel a e, public se ices, businesses, and local communi ies. Simila ly, in
2003, he Fes i al suppo ed he c ea ion o he Casa sull’Albe o associa ion,
a collabo a ion ha b ough oge he olun ee s, local leade s, and ci izens o
build a space o child en and amilies in need. This was ollowed by La Te a
di Mezzo, a ne wo k o 45 local associa ions aimed a connec ing young peo-
ple o hands – on olun ee wo k, u he enhancing he sense o communi y
in he a ea.
These ini ia i es, alongside he Fes i al’s ac i i ies, exempli y how Bas-
sano’s cul u al and social ne wo ks ha e lou ished hanks o con inuous col-
labo a ion. F om school p og ams os e ing in e -school communica ion o
und aising campaigns suppo ing local p ojec s, he p esence o Ope aEs a e
Fes i al has helped ein o ce hese local alliances. I has con ibu ed o c ea -
ing a cul u al en i onmen whe e communi y-d i en solu ions a e nu u ed
and suppo ed by s ong pa ne ships ac oss di e en sec o s, including
educa ion, business, and social se ices.
NETWORKING IN BASSANO
As s a ed by In e iewee 1: “You should imagine his place a bi like a o -
es , whe e wha is isible a e he ees. […] we like o ep esen ou sel es his
way, saying ha , in eali y, he i ali y o his place lies in he oo s, which
a e he daily exchanges be ween he di e en eali ies. And i ’s p ecisely he e
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Social Inno a ion and Ne wo king in Tou ism
ha he ue c ea i i y and gene a i i y o he p ojec s a e ound.” The in e -
iewee highligh s ha he ne wo k is a li ing ecosys em, whe e collabo a ion
and exchange gene a e c ea i i y. The complexi y and ichness o he ne wo k
eme ge only when iewed h ough a collec i e pe spec i e.
Acco ding o In e iewee 2: “This me apho , sugges ed o me by a c a s-
woman and a is , deeply s uck me, so much so ha I am adop ing i as a
desc ip ion o ou wo k. We a e ‘wea e s o ela ionships’, a ma e ial jus as
aluable, i you will, as high c a smanship, which is delica e and p ecious.”
Ne wo ks, like ela ionships, equi e ca e and a en ion o wea e meaning ul
and aluable connec ions. This iew unde sco es ha ne wo ks a e no jus
abou isible connec ions bu abou deepe , mo e meaning ul bonds ha c e-
a e eal alue.
In e iewee 3 p o ides ano he example: “Do you know hose g an s ha ,
s a ing om ho els, end up wi h wen y elec ic bikes? So, I call he nea es
bike shop and p opose en ing he bikes o ou is s. A wha p ice? 25 eu os
an hou , I say o hem, I ag ee a 25 eu os. You don’ buy he bikes, you don’
hink abou main enance, bu you c ea e a ne wo k.” This example demon-
s a es how collabo a ion be ween local businesses, like bike shops, es au-
an s, and ou is a ac ions, c ea es a syne gis ic ecosys em. The ne wo k
allows o esou ce-sha ing and in e ac ion wi hou he need o owne ship
o di ec managemen , esul ing in a mo e dynamic, sus ainable app oach o
ou ism and business.
Sha ed goals and mu ual in e es s a e i al o a ne wo k’s success. In e -
iewee 4 no es: “I he e is adhe ence o he goals and a s ong in e es in
he ac ions ha ealize hem, hese gene a e posi i e impac s on he wo k
and o ganiza ion o each membe . O he wise, pa icipa ing in he ne wo k
would become uly bu densome. Mo e han in e nal di icul ies, challenges
a e o en ound ou side he ne wo k.” When membe s align wi h common
objec i es, he ne wo k becomes mo e sus ainable and e ec i e, bu ex e nal
challenges like a lack o suppo om ins i u ions can hinde success.
In e iewee 5 e lec s on he collabo a i e cul u e in Bassano: “In my
opinion, he mos gene al answe is ha Bassano, and he Bassano a ea in
gene al, has a a he unique and o iginal ne wo k DNA compa ed o many
o he a eas. […] I belie e ou p esence in he e i o y o e he yea s has
none heless acili a ed and s eng hened his cha ac e is ic.” Bassano’s s ong
ne wo k cul u e has been buil o e ime h ough con inuous collabo a ion,
in ol ing local ac o s such as businesses, cul u al ins i u ions, and commu-
ni y-d i en ini ia i es. This collabo a ion has c ea ed a e ile en i onmen
o ela ionships, us , and coope a ion, making he ne wo k esilien and
adap able.
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In e iewee 5 con inues: “Being, so o speak, gene ically o ien ed owa ds
he concep o ne wo ks, o us i is some hing na u al, almos spon aneous.
[…] one o ou mos app ecia ed ‘c ea ions’ is he p ojec ‘Ci s o A a e Fa ica.’
In jus a ew yea s, we c ea ed i , we eally commi ed ou sel es, and li le
by li le we aded om he spo ligh , bu oday ‘Ci s o’ has become a public
asse o he e i o y.” This example illus a es how he ne wo k anscends
indi idual e o s, c ea ing a collec i e, sha ed alue. The p ojec e ol ed in o
a public asse , demons a ing how collabo a ion and communi y in ol emen
can lead o long-las ing impac . The app oach emphasizes ha ne wo ks mus
con inually g ow, inno a e, and expand a he han emain s a ic.
In e iewee 6 discusses he ne wo k as a sys em ha includes bo h o mal
s uc u es (like schools and amilies) and in o mal elemen s (like ma ke s and
en e ainmen spaces): “The undamen al idea is ha connec ing hese di e se
elemen s c ea es a suppo sys em ha can help add ess issues aced by young
people. Despi e challenges, his ne wo k has been essen ial in os e ing ol-
un ee ism and suppo ing indi iduals dedica ed o he cause.” This ne wo k
is c i ical o building communi y-d i en ini ia i es and add essing collec i e
needs e ec i ely.
The insigh s om he in e iewees highligh he c ucial ole o ne wo ks
in d i ing inno a ion, collabo a ion, and communi y de elopmen . Tigh -kni
ne wo ks, based on us and sha ed no ms, os e smoo h collabo a ion,
while loose ne wo ks encou age new ideas. B oke s – indi iduals who con-
nec di e en pa s o he ne wo k – a e essen ial o acili a ing collabo a ion
and c ea ing posi i e change, guiding esou ces and oppo uni ies h ough he
sys em.
The deeply embedded collabo a i e cul u e in Bassano, as poin ed ou by
In e iewee 5, shows how ne wo ks a e an ins inc i e pa o he social ab ic,
wi h p ojec s like “Ci s o A a e Fa ica” h i ing due o mu ual suppo and
sha ed esponsibili y. In e iewee 1 emphasizes ha “ he i ali y o his place
lies in he oo s, which a e he daily exchanges be ween he di e en eali ies.
And i ’s p ecisely he e ha he ue c ea i i y and gene a i i y o he p ojec s
a e ound.” Dense ne wo ks c ea e a ounda ion o us ha allows p ojec s
o come o li e, while loose ne wo ks, as seen in local ou ism ini ia i es,
os e inno a ion, as demons a ed by In e iewee 3.
E ec i e ne wo ks ely on ongoing engagemen , collabo a ion, and ex e -
nal suppo om ins i u ions and he b oade communi y. The ole o b oke s
is c ucial in main aining cohesion and he success o ne wo ks. In conclusion,
ne wo ks a e dynamic sys ems ha enable collabo a ion, esou ce sha ing,
and he achie emen o collec i e goals, based on he commi men o pa ici-
pan s and ins i u ional suppo .
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TRENTINO PROVINCE – THE CULTURAL POLICY CONTEXT
In he T en ino case, he me i o ious alue o cul u e is ecognized by he
1987 law on cul u al p omo ion and subsequen ly by he p o incial law on
cul u al ac i i ies 15/2007. Ci il socie y is gi en a special p oac i e ole. I
is, in ac , by empowe ing ci il socie y o ganiza ions ha he no m aims o
implemen a p inciple o pa icipa ion in he de elopmen o cul u e. A key
p ac ical implica ion o his p inciple is he de elopmen o ac ions owa d
he pa icipa o y planning, coo dina ion, and e alua ion o cul u al ac i i-
ies, oge he wi h an emphasis on he economic sus ainabili y o cul u al
o ganiza ions, s essing public suppo as well as he au onomous ole o
cul u al o ganiza ions in de eloping cul u al en ep eneu ial capaci y. The e
is, in o he wo ds, he p omo ion o bo h communi y engagemen and o a
cul u al indus y a i ude. This law has p o ided he no ma i e con ex o
he de elopmen o cul u al o ganiza ions, which all wi hin he ealm o
he social and solida i y economy, including bo h olun a y o ganiza ions,
ounda ions, coope a i es o a is s, as well as (mo e a ely) social en e p is-
es. Mo eo e , i has suppo ed communi y compe ences ha in la ge pa
al eady exis ed wi hin olun a y associa ions such as b ass bands, choi s,
cul u al he i age associa ions, and ama eu hea e companies. F om he
poin o iew o dis ibu ional e ec s, i has suppo ed cul u al se ices in
mul iple and emo e loca ions, a he han ocusing on a ew (u ban) cen -
e s. Cul u al ac i i ies o local ele ance a e gi en special a en ion. A icle
8 add esses his poin , emphasizing he need o iden i y, wi hin he com-
muni y, he local cul u al and c ea i e enues and ne wo ks “ ha can in e-
g a e he di e en o ms o cul u al and a is ic exp ession o he esiden s
and o he pa icipa ion o cul u al ope a o s in he enhancemen o local
c ea i i y.”
FESTIVAL ORGANIZATIONS
The es i als analyzed ocus on pe o ming a s, music, and audio isu-
al media. Th ee es i als we e conside ed: Con a alle, loca ed in he u al
Cemb a Valley, and wo u ban es i als in Ro e e o: O ien e Occiden e (an
in e na ional dance es i al) and RAM (an a chaeological ilm es i al). Con-
a alle aims o egene a e communi y iden i y amids challenges like depop-
ula ion and he decline o he local po phy y indus y. The u ban es i als
ocus on speci ic cul u al in e es s and also engage in cul u al and c ea i e
managemen ac i i ies, os e ing local communi y connec ions and con ibu ing
