The role of digital technologies in promoting social innovation in tourism Brazilian companies

Autores/as

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2026-1979

Palabras clave:

social innovation, entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, digital technologies, sustainable development, technological impact, social impact, tourism

Resumen

Introduction: Promoting social innovation and social entrepreneurship is key to building sustainable tourism destinations. In this way, entrepreneurship, through social innovation, aims to generate social impact to the detriment of financial benefits. Digital technologies can be important tools to support social innovation, as they enable new forms of cooperation, expanding social and innovative activities. In this sense, the aim of the study is to analyze entrepreneurship in the tourism sector, with an emphasis on good social innovation practices, and to explore the relevance of digital technologies in the creation and promotion  innovation. Methodology: The empirical study used case study analysis and semi-structured interviews with five companies’ Brazilian tourism. Results and Discussions: The results show that these companies are committed to sustainable development, concerned with involving communities. About the use of digital technologies to foster social innovation, they play an important role. However, technical and financial obstacles are highlighted, as well as the effectiveness of the tools already in use. Conclusions: The  digital technologies are crucial for social innovation, transcending communication boundaries and broadening the scope to promote sustainable development.

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Biografía del autor/a

Michelle Maiurro, University of Aveiro

Master's degree in Tourism Management and Planning from the University of Aveiro, Portugal. Currently a PhD researcher in Tourism at the DEGEIT department of the University of Aveiro, Portugal. Publications in the areas of senior tourism, gender equality, social innovation, and technologies. Experience in the educational tourism sector in Brazil. Interests in female entrepreneurship, gender equality, social innovation, culture, and tourism. Member of the Tourism and Development Group of GOVCOPP – Research Unit on Governance, Competitiveness, and Public Policy at the University of Aveiro.

Zélia Breda, University of Aveiro

Zélia Breda holds a doctorate in Tourism, a master's degree in Chinese Studies and a bachelor's degree in Tourism Management and Planning from the University of Aveiro, where she is an assistant professor and vice-director of the master’s degree in Tourism Management and Planning. She is an integrated member of the “Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies” Research Unit, a founding member and vice-president of the China Observatory and a senior consultant at Idtour, a tourism R&D spin-off company. She is a member of the editorial and scientific boards of several national and international academic journals, as well as members of the organizing and scientific committees of international tourism conferences. She has authored and co-authored several national and international papers and communications on tourism development, networks, tourism in China and Goa (India), gender and tourism, and internationalization of the tourism economy.

Filipa Brandão, University of Aveiro

Filipa holds a Ph.D. in Tourism and an MSc in Tourism Management and Development, both from the University of Aveiro. She is currently Assistant Professor at the University of Aveiro, where she teaches in Tourism BSc., MSc and PhD. She is Associate Editor Tourism & Development Journal the scientific journal of the Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism of the University of Aveiro, reviewer of scientific publications in the tourism field, and is frequently involved in tourism and leisure consultancy or applied research projects. Her research interests include territorial innovation in tourism, the role of innovation networks in destination development, sociometric analysis in tourism, gender issues in tourism innovation, and experience economy. She is a member of the Tourism and Development group of GOVCOPP – Research Unit in Governance, Competitiveness and Public Policies of the University of Aveiro

Carlos Costa, University of Aveiro

He has a PhD and Masters in Tourism from the University of Surrey (United Kingdom) and a Degree in Regional and Urban Planning from the University of Aveiro. Carlos Costa is a Full Professor at the University of Aveiro’s Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering, and Tourism (DEGEIT). With over 25 years of experience in Tourism and Planning, he leads the Tourism Research Group at GOVCOPP and the PhD Programme in Tourism. He is the Editor of Tourism & Development Journal and coordinates the assessment and accreditation of university tourism courses at A3ES. Since 2008, he has been the Scientific Coordinator of “idtour-unique solutions,” a tourism spin-off promoting knowledge transfer and innovation. Carlos is involved in various national and international projects on Tourism Planning, Management, Innovation, Policies, Gender in Tourism, and Tourism Education and Research. Carlos is Expert Consultant for the European Commission in the area of Tourism and President of the Tourism Platform of Portugal (PNT).

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2025-10-03

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Maiurro, M., Breda, Z., Brandão, F., & Costa, C. (2025). The role of digital technologies in promoting social innovation in tourism Brazilian companies. European Public & Social Innovation Review, 11, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.31637/epsir-2026-1979

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