Innovative certifications in adventure tourism – attributes and diffusion

Certifications, quality systems and standardization carriers systemic innovativeness, since they usually are established after a lengthy period of research, evidence-finding and testing. Ideally, they incorporate the most decisive best practices that will benefit firms, customers, and wider groups of stakeholders in communities. Such systems can be seen as driving forces for innovation, and memberships in them is likely to enhance prospective changes in the any industry. This chapter addresses the prospects of diffusion of innovation through certification and quality systems, using Rogers (1995) diffusion theory explaining adoption based on the five attributes. Findings from a qualitative multi-case study of the national tourism quality certifications of VisitScotland (Quality Assurance), New Zealand (Qualmark) and Iceland (Vakinn) is used to illustrate and explain diffusion. The study shows that relative advantage and compatibility seem most critical for adoption. Complexity and observability are important too, while trialability seems less obtainable in this particular context.