Exploring digital innovation in smart tourism destinations: insights from 31 premier tourist cities in digital China

Purpose This study aims to unveil the pivotal components and implementation pathways in the digital innovation of smart tourism destinations, while constructing a theoretical framework from a holistic perspective. Design/methodology/approach The research focuses on 31 significant urban smart tourism destinations in China. Secondary data was collected through manual search supplemented by big data scraping, whereas primary data was obtained from interviews with municipal tourism authorities. Grounded theory was used to theoretically construct the phenomenon of digital innovation in smart tourism destinations. Findings This research has formulated a data-driven knowledge framework for digital innovation in smart tourism destinations. Core components include digital organizational innovation, smart data platforms, multi-stakeholder digital collaborative ecosystem and smart tourism scenario systems. Destinations can achieve smart tourism scene innovation through closed innovation driven by smart data platforms or open innovation propelled by a multi-stakeholder digital collaborative ecosystem. Practical implications Based on insights from digital innovation practices, this study proposes a series of concrete recommendations aimed at assisting Destination Management Organizations in formulating and implementing more effective digital innovation strategies to enhance the sustainable digital competitiveness of destinations. Originality/value This study advances smart tourism destination innovation research from localized thinking to systemic thinking; extends digital innovation theory into the realm of smart tourism destination innovation; repositions the significance of knowledge in smart tourism destination innovation; and constructs a comprehensive framework for digital innovation in smart tourism destinations.