Where to vacation? An agent-based approach to modelling tourist decision-making process
Authored by Ines Boavida-Portugal, Carlos Cardoso Ferreira, Jorge Rocha
Date Published: 2017
DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2015.1041880
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Abstract
Agent-based models (ABMs) are becoming more relevant in social
simulation due to the potential to model complex phenomena that emerge
from individual interactions. In tourism research, complexity is a
subject of growing interest and researchers start to analyse the tourism
system as a complex phenomenon. However, there is little application of
ABMs as a tool to explore and predict tourism patterns. The purpose of
the paper is to develop an ABM that increases knowledge in tourism
research by (i) considering the complexity of tourism phenomenon, (ii)
providing tools to explore the complex relations between system
components and (iii) giving insights on the functioning of the system
and the tourist decision-making process. A theoretical ABM is developed
to improve knowledge on tourist decision-making in the selection of a
destination to vacation. Tourists' behaviour, such as individual
motivation, and social network influence in the vacation decision-making
process are hereby discussed.
Tags
Simulation
Agent-based models
Complexity
Land-use
Chaos
systems
tourist behaviour
Decision-making process
Tourism system