How 'natural' is innovation in nature-based tourism?

In the current competitive context in tourism, innovation appears imperative for organizations. Three nature-based tourism organizations located in the region surrounding Québec City (Canada) helped identify the attributes of innovation. Using the nominal group technique, the study aims to discover not the nature of innovation, but rather the importance which nature-based tourism organizations tend to accord to nature in innovation. Forty-nine attributes of innovation were identified and classified into four inductive categories: "Business," "Offer and Experience," "Social Environment," and "Place." The results highlight the subtle relationship between innovation and the "natural" territory at the heart of nature-based tourism. On the other hand, the organization's mission, and the individuals invested in it, are the basic ingredients of innovation. Innovation in nature-based tourism, while not completely "unnatural," seems rather anthropic.