A wasted invitation to innovate? Creativity and innovation in tourism crisis management: A QC&IM approach

This paper introduces the QC&IM (Quadratic Creativity & Innovation Model) for the mapping, development and implementation of creativity and innovation-oriented crisis management and mitigation solutions. The model is a four quadrants diagram of (1) ‘old school’; (2) ‘trial-and-error’; (3) ‘incremental’, and (4) ‘breakthrough’. Each represents a distinct case out of a two-axis grid of crisis thinking and crisis actions. A complementary, holistic schematic process of creativity- and innovation-based tourism crisis management follows. The paper outlines the model's methodological, theoretical, formulation, and evolution process. This is part of a qualitative integrated multi-layered study examining the Israeli 2nd Intifada security-induced tourism crisis (2000–2008) from the viewpoint of creativity and innovation. The aim was to evaluate the extent of creativity and innovation involved in crisis interventions and their implications, in efforts to mitigate what was considered, and still is, Israel's most catastrophic and prolonged security-induced tourism crisis. Findings reveal predominantly conservative and reactive conduct with a ‘lack of appetite’ for anything new. In terms of creativity- and innovation-based crisis response, minimal and sporadic implementation was evident. This paper contributes to the literature by a novel theoretic approach that combines three realms of knowledge: (1) creativity in tourism; (2) innovation in tourism, and (3) tourism crisis management. It also establishes a theoretical framework for creativity- and innovation-based evaluation criteria as the basis for the formulation of the QC&IM. In practice, destinations worldwide seeking alternative, new and ‘out-of-the-box’ solutions might benefit from implementing the model.