Systems Approach to Cultural Tourism and Events

Abstract

In this paper, we will present the systems approach methodology, which has been widely used in the natural sciences and engineering for the last seven decades since Ludwig von Bertalanffy published his manifesto on general systems theory (1952) and Norbert Wiener his on cybernetics (1948). The intention of general systems theory and cybernetics is the ‘ontology’ of action, which is shown by feedback information. Its goal is to find a method to predict the consequence of a decision-making action. Industrial engineering recognised it when Forrester published Industrial Dynamics (1961), and social sciences rediscovered it with Senge’s work on the learning organisation The Fifth Discipline (1990). Cultural tourism is an element of a complex tourism system within global and local dimensions, in which cultural events, as even smaller elements, play essential roles within the range of tourism goods and services. As amethodology for the research of complex phenomena, the systems approach will explain two of itsmethods, systems thinking andmodelling, as those that can significantly influence decision-making when taken into account.We will show the appropriateness of the methodology within cultural tourism decision-making and modelling. Keywords: systems approach, analytical and systems thinking, complexity, cultural tourism and events, modelling