Exploring change in tourism systems: a qualitative study on hospitality operators and the new Salerno airport’s impact on destination management

Changes in destination accessibility can trigger shifts in a tourism system, requiring management strategies and strategic alliances to turn these changes into competitive assets. Such changes may pose challenges without proper management, negatively affecting a destination’s attractiveness. This paper adopts a case study approach to examine tourism system change following the opening of Salerno Costa D’Amalfi Airport in July 2024. This event marks an opportunity to enhance the destination’s appeal and strengthen its economic base. While Salerno has traditionally been secondary to renowned neighbouring destinations like Naples and the Amalfi Coast, the new airport infrastructure offers a chance to redefine its competitive positioning in regional and international markets. However, this change also affects tourism employment, services, and seasonality. This study will explore hospitality owners, managers and hosts’ perceptions of change through the theoretical lens of the tourism competitiveness six A’s framework. Preliminary findings suggest that stakeholders perceive improved accessibility as a first step towards an ecosystem change that can tackle urgent issues such as seasonality, low levels of stable tourism employment, and overdependence on specific tourism segments. Indeed, the new airport could lead to a new network of services benefiting tourists and residents and turn Salerno into a hub for tourists and neighbouring regions suffering from accessibility issues. The new airport could enhance Salerno’s attractiveness to new tourism segments such as sports and business tourism if guided by new amenities and ancillary services like working spaces, fairs, exhibitions, and cultural and business events. However, findings suggest that it is crucial to have a proper inclusive tourism strategy guided by tourism stakeholders capable of identifying the most suitable strategies to pursue based on the territory’s main challenges. Without the involvement of local tourism stakeholders, there is the risk of encountering challenges that affect the tourism ecosystem, such as a deregulated increase in tourism accommodation, a lack of intermodal connectivity and the development of attractions that do not value the local culture and economy.