Cooperation As A Dynamic Capacity For The Resilience Of Tourist Destinations: A Systematic Review With Bibliometric Synthesis And Qualitative Meta-Synthesis

Abstract

This systematic review examines how inter-organizational cooperation functions as a dynamic capacity determining the performance and resilience of tourist destinations. Analyzing 90 articles (2000 - 2022) using integrated bibliometric synthesis and qualitative meta-synthesis , the study identified a paradigmatic shift from transactional exchanges to complex post-2015 collaborative governance. The research reveals that effective cooperation emerges from the interaction between institutional architecture (β = 0.47), optimal relational density (0.5 - 0.7) and emerging digital capabilities (d = 0.84). We propose the Adaptive Cooperative Capacities (CCA) Model, which challenges three dominant assumptions: (1) the positive linear cooperation-performance relationship, (2) trust as an indispensable prerequisite, and (3) cross-cutting homogeneous effects. The findings demonstrate differentiated impacts: collaborative marketing (d = 0.76), co-creation (d = 0.84), sustainability (d = 0.52) and digital transformation (d = 0.91). However, a critical paradox emerges: while 89% of studies report positive impacts, only 12% employ standardized metrics, questioning the robustness of the evidence. The study contributes theoretically by reconceptualizing destinations as antifragile systems that can be strengthened through moderate cooperative stress, methodologically integrating bibliometric-qualitative approaches, and practically through the COOPERA Framework to operationalize adaptive cooperation. In a post-pandemic context and climate crisis, this capacity is configured as a critical factor that differentiates resilience from the vulnerability of destinations.