Abstract
PurposeThis paper brings together the literature on theories of complexity adaptive systems (CAS), develops an analytical framework, applies this framework to the development of tourism destinations and critically reflects on the use of this perspective.Design/methodology/approachThis paper elaborates on a CAS perspective on destination development, to further develop complexity thinking in tourism studies. This approach enables to identify policy avenues geared towards improving destination governance and contributing to sustainable tourism development.FindingsTheories of CAS offer an analytical lens to better understand destination development, drawing explicit attention to (1) the levels of the individual, (emergent) structures, the structure-agency interface and the system level, (2) the steps related to the process of adaptation that is critical for systems to survive and thrive in times of change and (3) the undervalued importance of considering the factor of time.Originality/valueApplying CAS theories help to address a range of (policy) avenues to improve destination governance, contributing to a shift in focus from reactively fixing problems to proactively addressing the structural issue of adaptive capacity building. It shows that managing tourism destination as complex systems involves a set of conditions that are critical as well as difficult to meet in tourism practice.
Highlights
Tourist destinations are in a constant state of change, to a greater of lesser extent
As a result of ongoing actions of actors and their outcomes, tourism destinations can be conceptualized as being in persistent state of becoming
Decisions aiming to manage destinations’ development are potentially made without full information or consultation let alone consensus among all stakeholders. Such decisions can be criticized for being ad hoc, too narrow in scope, too reactive, too responsive, too much focusing on resolving symptoms over a developing and implementing a well-wrought strategy that is based on a well-informed and cocreated vision on tourism and destination development
Summary
Tourist destinations are in a constant state of change, to a greater of lesser extent. 1-12, Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2055-5911 JOURNAL OF TOURISM FUTURES PAGE 1 important characteristics and key conditions that enable destinations to perform such dynamicadaptive behavior that allows them to survive and thrive in dynamic contexts (Hartman, 2020). Such complex adaptive systems (CAS) perspectives can offer analytical leverage to help understand system dynamics of destinations as well as the extent to which characteristics and requirements are in place that enable dynamic-adaptive behavior. A reflection is given in Section 4 on the use of this CAS perspective in a tourism context
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