Towards a green economy decision support system for tourism destinations

Abstract

This paper discusses green economy planning in tourism; a process characterized by complexity and high levels of uncertainty, where limited data availability and the absence of existing frameworks hinder the development of targeted and effective strategies. It presents an approach for a decision support system (DSS) to assist destinations address challenges and to seize opportunities in this new situation of change. A multidisciplinary approach drawing on the fields of sustainable tourism, destination management and system dynamics was applied to identify the requirements of such a DSS and to present examples of how it may be implemented. A consultancy study in the destination of Sharm El Sheikh (Egypt) was used to develop a holistic model for the requirements of the proposed DSS. Based on this model, examples were developed in the software program Powersim, to provide an insight into how such a DSS could assist destination policymakers, planners and managers with dynamic scenario modelling and planning to help understand and manage the drivers of change – particularly those drivers that are complex and difficult to quantify such as the opportunities presented by green demand. The proposed DSS is intended to be further developed by applying it to new destination case studies.

旅游目的地的一种绿色经济决策支持系统发展

该文章讨论了旅游中的绿色经济规划，这是一种复杂而且高度不确定性的过程。在该过程中有限的可用数据和缺少已有的框架都阻碍了需达到的和有效的战略发展。文章提出为一种决策支持系统(DSS)服务的手段来帮助目的地在新的改变情况中发现挑战和抓住机会。一种从可持续性旅游，目的地管理和系统动力学几个领域中提炼出来的多领域的方法在该研究中应用来发现DSS的要求并且用例子来解释DSS是可以如何被实施的。一个以目的地Sharm El Sheikh（埃及）为例的咨询研究被用来根据提议的DSS的要求来发展一个全面的模型。根据这个模型，多个案例使用软件Powersim来发展出来，提供了一种调查，来理解DSS是如何帮助目的地政策制订者，规划者和管理者使用多样化情景模型和规划，以至于帮助理解和管理变化的诱导因素- 特别是那些复杂和很难量化的诱导因素，例如绿色需求呈现出的机会。建议的DSS希望通过应用去新的目的地案例而以至于进一步的发展。

Keywords:

• green economy
• tourism destinations
• decision support system
• greenhouse gas mitigation
• destination management
• system dynamics

关键词:

• 绿色经济
• 旅游目的地
• 决策支持系统
• 温室排放气体减少
• 目的地管理
• 系统动力学

Notes

1. Annual revenue = rooms*room rate*365*(occupancy/100).

2. Note that, at each step of the simulation, the graphs are used to establish “impact” values based on current occupancy and room rate settings and these, in turn, are then modified for the next simulation round (by multiplying by 1+the impact value).

3. For example, prior to simulation with Powersim, it is a relatively simple matter to initialize parameters so that, for example, the IofERRonRR variable is set to five different values (say −0.05, −0.025, 0, +0.025 and +0.05) and to then compare the impact of these various settings on key output variables (such as annual revenue).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alexandra Law

Alexandra Law graduated from London Metropolitan University and is a Research Officer and PhD candidate at the Centre for Tourism and Services Research (CTSR), Victoria University, Australia. Her research interests focus on mitigating tourism's GHG emissions and adaptation to climate change.

Terry De Lacy

Terry De Lacy is a Professor of Sustainable Tourism at Victoria University. Previously CEO of Australia's Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Center, he helped develop the Earthcheck sustainability benchmarking system underpinning the Green Globe certification system.

G. Michael McGrath

G. Michael McGrath is a Professor of Information Systems at Victoria University. He has over 20 years experience in the IT industry – mostly in senior positions at Australia's largest PTC, Telstra.

Paul A. Whitelaw

Paul A. Whitelaw is a Senior Lecturer in the School of International Business at Victoria University and an Associate of the CTSR. Paul has published on protected areas management, visitor and resident community perceptions.

Geoffrey Lipman

Geoffrey Lipman is a Principal at Schuman Associates in Brussels, Belgium; Advisor to the Secretary-General UNWTO and the World Economic Forum; and Adjunct Professor of Tourism at Victoria University, Australia. He was Assistant Secretary-General of UNWTO and founding President of the World Travel and Tourism Council and Executive Director, IATA. His initiatives include Agenda 21 for the Travel and Tourism Industry, Green Globe, ST-EP, Earth Lung and GreenEarth.travel.

Geoff Buckley

Geoff Buckley is co-founder of New Earth Tourism P/L. He was the Managing Director of Tourism Australia and Executive Director of Marketing and Communications for Sydney Olympic Park Authority.