R&D agenda for recovery and growth in Norwegian tourism 2020-2024

The purpose is to increase business-oriented R&D activity for tourism in order to underpin the need for change in the industry after the Covid-19 pandemic. Development of a joint R&D agenda for the tourism industry should result in the design of several applications for the Research Council's announced calls for proposals (e.g. Competence and collaboration project, Innovation project in business), upcoming calls for proposals and EU project(s). A common R&D agenda will also be important to identify knowledge needs that are not covered well enough by existing arrangements within the instrument apparatus. The project will result in increased business-oriented research and development in tourism in order to rebuild the industry after the Covid-19 pandemic. The project has identified research needs to rebuild the industry after the COVID-19 pandemic. The application ?Transformation and Sustainable Growth of the Norwegian Travel Industry? (project 322732) was prepared as part of the mobilization project with a broad corporate partnership: Thon Hotels, Nordic Choice Hotels, Radisson, Norlandia, De Historiske, Scandic, SAS, Hurtigruten, Color Line, NSB, Fjord Tours, Fjord Norge, Visit Oslo, NordNorsk Reiseliv , Alpinalleggenes Landsforening, Komon-Stageway, and Innovation Norway. These cover large parts of Norwegian tourism and will share data and be involved in the various work packages. The project has mobilized a strong research team with experienced researchers from the University of Southeast Norway, the University of Tromsø, New York University, Deutsche Institut für Tourismusforschung and Victoria University New Zealand. The project submitted an outline for "Norwegian Travel Industry Monitor: Digital lab for big data analysis of economic development of businesses and destinations" (project 316606). This project was decided to be postponed until 2023 due to the corona burden on the industry as a result of the pandemic's escalation in autumn 2020 and the authorities' closure of the tourism industry.