Learning from others: Benchmarking in diverse tourism enterprises

Abstract

Benchmarking, described as ‘the search for industry best practices that will lead to superior performance’ (Camp, 1989, Benchmarking: The Search for Industry Best Practices that Leads to Superior Performance (Milwaukee, ASQC Quality Press)), has been used as a tool for quality improvement in industries as diverse as motor manufacturing and banking. Tourism is a highly significant part of the Scottish economy, and it is recognized that the success of the industry depends on competing on the standard of service provided. However, few applications of benchmarking have been reported from this industry. This is due in part to the diverse nature of tourist operations: the majority of reported successful applications of benchmarking are from major organizations, whereas tourism operations range in scale from major tour operators to family-run accommodation. This paper will report the result of a benchmarking study carried out between three diverse tourism operations, each of which possesses particular strengths in attracting new custom, retaining customer loyalty and innovation. The paper will discuss how the well-established technique of benchmarking can be adapted to suit the needs of typical tourism operations.