Accommodation collaborative businesses and micro enterprises: exploring engagement in regional tourism clusters

Clusters are promoted as 'drivers of economic development and environmental sustainability' (United Nations World Tourism Organization). While the benefits of firm cluster engagement are well-recognised, many Australian micro-enterprises (MEs) and collaborative businesses in the rising 'sharing economy' have little interaction with their over-arching industry cluster. The aim of this study is to explore how and why tourism MEs engage in cluster initiatives. Adopting an IMP model to explore tourism cluster ME engagement, data is collected from both cluster experts and ME accommodation operators. Analysis of qualitative interviews is used to illicit factors influencing ME cluster engagement.