Agent-Based Modelling for Tourism Research

Keywords

Agent-based modelling; tourism development; tourism management; tourism planning

Abstract

Managing tourism destinations has become increasingly challenging due to the tourism ecosystem's complex nature. Tourism destinations can be seen as complex systems consisting of interactive agents such as tourists, tourism attractions, service providers, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), and the local communities. These agents have various types of interactions with each other in real-time. This paper introduces how the Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) approach can be used in tourism research. ABM is a computational modelling approach that examines the tourism system's dynamic behaviour based on the agents' interactions and simulates how the microscopic interactions lead to macroscopic phenomena. ABM can be leveraged with existing behavioural theories and various types of data to address complex topics such as sustainability and social equity. This study reviewed existing literature that adopts ABM throughout tourism planning, development, and management stages. We identified seven themes where ABM would be appropriate for studying tourism: sustainable tourism, tourist decision-making behaviour, tourist flow management, crisis management, cultural tourism management, natural tourism management, and transportation management. We further propose an agent-based modelling framework with key agents and attributes to guide the modelling process for tourism researchers and practitioners.

Publication Date

7-2023

Original Citation

Baktash, A., Huang, A., de la Mora Velasco, E., Jahromi, M. F., & Bahja, F. (2023). Agent-based modelling for tourism research. Current Issues in Tourism, 26(13), 2097–2109. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2022.2080648

Document Type

Paper

Language

English

Source Title

Current Issues in Tourism

Volume

26

Issue

13

College

Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Location

Rosen College of Hospitality Management

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