Collaborare per competere nel turismo: il ruolo del co-marketing per i tour operator

Purpose of the paper: The purpose of the paper is to investigate marketing alliances in the tourism context, with particular attention to the Italian tour operators sector. In particular, this study explores: a) the diffusion degree of cooperative strategies among the tour operators ; b) the goals pursued, by the critical success actors, c) the advantages achieved and d) the degree of satisfaction generated by them. Methodology: The research adopts mixed methods: a) a semi-structured in-depth interview with a key player in the processes of organising co-marketing initiatives; b) participant observation at an important Italian tour operator; c) a survey addressed to the main Italian tour operators. Findings: The study has highlighted important benefits for companies that adopt co-marketing strategies in the tour operating sector, but also shortcomings in specialist skills concerning the management of co-marketing processes. Practical implications: This paper provides useful information for the implementation of a co-marketing strategy in the tour operating sector. Originality of the paper: The main element of originality concerns the field of phenomenon observation choice: the strategic alliances in the tourism intermediation sector, a phenomenon which has not been very much explored so fat.. Research limits: The main limit is due to the difficulty of carrying out significant in-depth studies deriving from the use of descriptive statistics, given the small number of respondents.