Collaborative Networks : Leveraging Local Food and Agritourism for Regional Development

Collaborative networks are widely employed as mechanisms to develop innovative responses in challenging environments. This approach has relevance in the area of regional development particularly where food production and tourism are two significant sectors underpinning regions. These two industries have conventionally operated as single sectors independent of each other. However, an inability to respond to changing environments and entrenched outmoded practices in a context of global change has resulted in the vulnerability of regions and limited their ability to leverage opportunities as these arise. Regions with these characteristics need to rethink and restructure their operations.By connecting agriculture and tourism entities through a collaborative network, it is contended that regions in which these co-exist can create a vehicle for change. An in depth analysis of a case study from the Tropical North Queensland (TNQ) region in Australia dramatically illustrates this transforma...