Beyond social innovation to sustainable livelihoods in tourism

Social innovation extends the traditional business model to include social value and capital. It incorporates new forms of cooperation amongst stakeholders as they work together to provide new solutions to problems. Social innovation includes the concept of social enterprise, where the purpose of an organization is beyond profit and incorporates people and planet. In relation to tourism, social innovation is taking place within destinations and organizations that are looking to solve problems by focusing on the benefits beyond their organization and incorporating the immediate, surrounding and distant stakeholders in their business models. The incorporation of these principles is altering the purpose of tourism, which should include regenerative principles in its development and implementation. This paper examines social innovation through the lens of tourism and explores how social innovation can support and foster sustainable livelihoods and regeneration through tourism.