Strategic fit and consensus of stakeholders in community-type of tourist destinations : The case of a cultural city in Tuscany

Tourist destination communities consist of various groups of stakeholders. Depending on their affiliation, they typically pursue different objectives and as a consequence they identify differing strategic issues. However, systematic approaches to the identification of strategies in tourist destinations has seldom gone beyond qualitative case studies. For the case of a cultural city in Tuscany, we have identified a network of prominent actors, representing different stakeholder groups. In an in survey based on in-depth interviews, 38 of 42 stakeholders have identified the destination's main issues with regard to four dimensions: challenges, competitive advantages, competitors and target groups. Despite the low density of answers and the high number of identified issues, a consensus analysis with respect to the issues shows across all four dimensions a good model fit for consensus. The paper concludes with consequences for theory and practice by delivering recommendations for effective governance and strategy formulation. Further research points to the usefulness of social network analysis in destination and regional planning and governance.