Key issues in the conceptualization of tourism destinations

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to review the evolution of how the term ‘destination’ has been used, critiqued, and analyzed. While the traditional view of a destination has largely focused geographical features and the systemic concept of tourism destinations has focused on the interaction between tourists, the staff in industries providing tourism services, and the local population, more recent conceptualizations of tourism destinations treat destinations as complex adaptive systems that adapt to ever-changing economic, political, and social trends. As well, recent work on integrative conceptual frameworks of tourism destinations highlights the importance of particular geographical elements in the emergence and development of destinations which affect the structure of the mode of production, the range of stakeholders involved in tourism activity, and the entire process of destinations evolution. Although the traditional – geographic concept of destination, from today's point of view, is one-sided and not comprehensive, geographical elements, however, are the nucleus from which a tourism destination occurs and develops. In this regard, it is indisputable that the geographical attributes of tourism destinations represent the key component of their resource base. This fact should be borne in mind in future conceptualizations of destinations.

摘要

本文的研究目的是综述学界对目的地这个术语使用、评论与分析的演变。尽管目的地的传统观点大多聚焦于目的地的地理特征, 同时旅游目的地的系统概念强调旅游者、旅游业员工以及当地居民之间的互动, 但最近对旅游目的地的概括更多地把目的地看作一个复杂的适应系统, 响应瞬息万变的经济、政治与社会趋势。最近旅游目的地整合性概念框架也强调特定地理要素在旅游目的地形成与发展中的重要性, 这些地理要素影响目的地生产模式的结构、利益相关者参与旅游活动的范围和目的地演化的整个过程。虽然目的地传统的地理概念从当今的观点看是单方面的而且不是综合性的, 但是地理要素是旅游目的地形成与发展的核心要素。就这一点来说, 旅游目的地的地理属性代表了其资源基础的关键成分是不容置疑的。这个事实在未来提炼旅游目的地的概念时不应忽视。

KEYWORDS:

• Tourism
• geography
• development
• destination
• concept
• system

关键词:

• 旅游
• 地理学
• 发展
• 目的地
• 概念
• 系统

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dobrica Zivadin Jovicic

Dobrica Z. Jovicic has a doctorate in tourism. The title of his dissertacion is: ‘Tourism and Environment in the Context of Sustainable Development’. He is employed as a full professor at the University of Belgrade – Geographical Faculty, Serbia. His tourism research interests include tourism policy, sustainable development of tourism, and management of tourism destinations.