Operations research for tourism planning and destination management

Abstract

This thesis explores the application of operations research (OR) in the intricate landscape of sustainable tourism planning. It addresses three primary challenges in destination planning: complexity issues, sustainability considerations, and tourism crisis management. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has magnified the challenges, the study centres on the key aspects of tourism development: Tourism Demand, Destinations and Strategy, and the Tourism Supply sector.

The central question of this thesis is how the OR approach can be applied to improve the destination planning and management. This inquiry is further subdivided into three specific research questions, each aligned with the challenges and considerations associated with managing tourism destinations during crises: 1) How to facilitate effective tourism recovery strategies post-crisis? 2) How to address comprehensive tourism challenges within a destination by integrating the different sectors of the destination? and 3) How to promote the rural hospitality sector by understanding the entrepreneurial intentions of the local community? Each question corresponds to a specific paper in this thesis, employing distinct OR approaches.

The thesis makes contributions in various aspects. Firstly, it enhances the understanding of visitor behaviour in crises and improves crisis response strategies through the application of OR methodology. Secondly, it addresses the complexity issues in tourism destinations, demonstrating how OR methodologies effectively contribute to destination problem assessment and solving capabilities. Thirdly, the thesis delves into the supply side of tourism, focusing on the local community and residents, offering insights into their perspectives and recommending policy measures to promote tourism supply businesses.

The different applications in this thesis showcase the capabilities of OR in these domains, providing practical implementation strategies for policy decisions and service design. The development of OR models in this thesis bridges the gap between theoretical concepts and real-world applications in tourism planning. These OR techniques, whether applied in isolation or in hybrid approaches, prove invaluable in refining post-crisis tourism recovery strategies and planning for future development. Beyond practical and methodological advancements, the thesis contributes theoretically to tourism planning by examining the intricate interconnections within the tourism system and addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by tourism destinations. Additionally, it provides insights into the post-COVID-19 tourism landscape, particularly in understanding tourist behaviours and local entrepreneurial intentions.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Steffen Bayer: orcid.org/0000-0002-7872-467X

ORCID for Stephan Onggo: orcid.org/0000-0001-5899-304X

ORCID for Martin Kunc: orcid.org/0000-0002-3411-4052

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