An Integrative Model (iModel) for Decision-Making in Tourism

ABSTRACT

This article contributes to the conceptual and methodological strengthening of the study of tourism as a complex phenomenon using systems thinking. It is aimed at supporting decision-making for tourist destinations’ planning and management. Few authors provide a schematic model of how tourism works, and among them, even fewer expressly use a systemic approach. However, nobody presents a methodology for their models’ analytical application to bridge theory and practice. The integrative model (iModel) fills this gap. It is developed through a review of previous models, research in Belgian, German and Ecuadorian cases, discussion in experts’ panels and supported by a long experience in destination development in Ecuador. Main contributions are 1) the introduction of a model of tourism as a dynamic complex system based on the functions performed by the actors involved in the tourism experience; and 2) the presentation of a methodology to apply the model-as-a-tool for decision-making support in tourism practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Analytical application
• decision-making
• iModel
• methodology
• systems thinking
• tourism planning and management

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Santiago Rodriguez-Giron http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3644-7934

Dimitri Ioannides http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3549-750X

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Secretaría de Educación Superior, Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (SENESCYT) of Ecuador.