Strategic orientation of hotels: Evidence from a contingent approach

Strategic orientation – a necessary condition to achieve and maintain competitive advantage – should be taken particularly into account in the tourism industry, which is characterised by strong competition and a rapidly changing environment. This paper investigates whether different dimensions of strategic orientation (entrepreneurial, learning and market orientations) have a direct effect on hotel performance and whether the relationship between strategic orientation and hotel performance is contingent on various hotel-specific characteristics. The hypotheses are tested against a sample of 120 small hotels operating in a mature Italian tourist destination. The results show that although entrepreneurial and market orientations are positive drivers of hotel performance, learning orientation is not important. Moreover, the intensity of the relationship between strategic orientation and performance is contingent on internal firm-related moderators (size and quality). Both the number of rooms and the star classification reinforce the performance achievement of innovative and customer-oriented hotels.