SYSTEMS-BASED MODELING FOR PARTICIPATORY TOURISM PLANNING AND DESTINATION MANAGEMENT
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2004 Cognizant Comm. Corp. Systems modeling tools such as STELLA Research 7 for Windows are used in economics and ecosystem management, but their application to the tourism system at the local destination level has been little explored. This article uses STELLA Research 7 for Windows to examine the potential of dynamic systems modeling as a community destination planning tool. The conceptual and theoretical basis of systems modeling is explained, followed by an application of STELLA modeling in an undergraduate tourism impacts class. A basic model of Hardin's (1968) Tragedy of the Commons was developed as an example to illustrate how the systems-based software helps to address interrelationships between various components. This was then followed by a collaborative class project to develop aspects of a Tourism Management System (TMS) model with the help of STELLA. Student responses to a questionnaire administered subsequent to project completion indicates that systems-based modeling exhibits strong potential to be applied as a visual and process-based tool to facilitate (a) joint learning of the nature of tourism impacts at the destination level and (b) collaborative decision making on issues related to destination planning and management. Other benefits and limitations of this participatory modeling approach are provided in the article.
