Creative destination and innovation. An application to new markets

The relationship between innovation and spaces has been long investigated. The concepts of “learning region” and milieux innovateur help in understanding the relationship between space and innovation, especially in regional economics. Creativity has been addressed as the solution to many urban and regional problems. Starting from the creative city to creative industries and its implications in economics, the importance of innovation on territories has been investigated. The purpose of this paper is to define the creative destination, especially in the case of tourism destinations. We will use the literature on exaptation to understand how destination may use innovation and creativity to adapt to new markets, often created directly by entrepreneurs. The case of location-based services with its possible implications concludes the paper.