Extended destination ecosystems in smart tourism: networking behaviours and leadership

Purpose This study aims to advance the understanding of tourism destination ecosystems amid smart tourism transformations by exploring an extended destination ecosystem. It focuses on its structure, integration patterns of tourism and non-tourism actors, networking behaviours, mediation engagement and ecosystem leadership. Design/methodology/approach This study employs the digital network to examine the ecosystem’s structure and behaviours. Using databases and web crawling, it identifies 36,813 entities and analyses relationships among 1,117 key actors. Findings Strong integration with tourism actors makes ICT actors and various institutional and socioeconomic non-tourism (ISEN) actors indispensable ecosystem components. ICT actors, mostly foreign, play a central role, with general ICT outperforming travel tech. However, prioritising ICT ties alone is insufficient for ecosystem leadership or deeper integration for tourism actors. Links to ISEN actors, alongside ICT actors, high connectivity and diverse ties are essential for leadership. Connections to other tourism actors are relevant for greater integration and mediation. Networking behaviours of destination management organisations and public bodies differed from those observed across other sectors. Practical implications Tourism governance and management should engage actors beyond core tourism sectors to foster resilient ecosystems, while businesses aiming for greater leadership should diversify networks beyond ICT actors. Actionable recommendations are provided. Originality/value This research introduces a novel methodological approach and expands smart tourism frameworks with empirical evidence on diverse actor integration in the extended destination ecosystem. It highlights relationships between actors’ networking behaviours, integration levels, mediation engagement and ecosystem leadership.