Innovation in the tourism sector, organizational learning and performance

Purpose The purpose of this research paper is to establish the impact of process and service innovation on non-financial and financial performance in the tourism sector, as well as to explain the mediating role of organizational learning. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach was used, based on partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), Smart PLS 4.0 software. The sample consisted of 426 establishments in the tourism sector in Zone I, Ecuador. Online surveys were employed to collect data, yielding 118 responses, to assess the impact of innovation on business performance from 2020 to 2022. Findings Process and service innovation positively and significantly affect non-financial and financial performance, respectively. Organizational learning mediates the relationship between process innovation and disservice. The relationship between non-financial and financial performance could not be confirmed. The model explains 53.10% of non-financial performance and 26.10% of financial performance. Originality/value The relationship between innovation and performance in the tourism sector has been studied in several developed economies, while little has been studied in developing countries. This work contributes to an empirical discussion including a mediating variable in the innovation–performance relationship in the Latin American context.