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Understanding Tourism Theories

This document discusses tourism theories and models. It defines tourism as temporary movement to destinations outside the normal home and workplace for activities and facilities catering to tourists' needs. Tourism is a multidisciplinary field that borrows theories from other disciplines like psychology, sociology, economics. While there is no consensus on a definition and shortage of tourism-specific theories, scholars have developed descriptive and explanatory models of tourism systems as well as predictive models based on causal relationships. Some key concepts in tourism include tourism systems, tourist typologies, and Butler's Tourist Area Life Cycle model. Various theories are used to understand tourist behavior, motivations, consumption, and destination choice.

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Ma. Carmela P. Balingit
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17 views2 pages

Understanding Tourism Theories

This document discusses tourism theories and models. It defines tourism as temporary movement to destinations outside the normal home and workplace for activities and facilities catering to tourists' needs. Tourism is a multidisciplinary field that borrows theories from other disciplines like psychology, sociology, economics. While there is no consensus on a definition and shortage of tourism-specific theories, scholars have developed descriptive and explanatory models of tourism systems as well as predictive models based on causal relationships. Some key concepts in tourism include tourism systems, tourist typologies, and Butler's Tourist Area Life Cycle model. Various theories are used to understand tourist behavior, motivations, consumption, and destination choice.

Uploaded by

Ma. Carmela P. Balingit
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

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Tourism Theories

Chapter · January 2015

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2 authors:

Thinaranjeney Thirumoorthi Brian Wong Kee Mun


University of Malaya KDU University College
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To Cite: Thirumoorthy, T., & Wong, K. M. (2015). Tourism, Chapter 24. In: A., Idris, S., Moghavvemi & G., Musa (Eds.),
Selected Theories in Social Science Research. Kuala Lumpur: UM Press.

CHAPTER 24
TOURISM
Thinaranjeney Thirumoorthi and Kee Mun Wong

Introduction
Tourism industry is still blooming in the 21st century as it represents 9.2% of world GDP and 235
million people are employed within this industry (WTTC 2010). This indicates that tourism is
one of the main economic sectors in the world. Tourism does not stand alone and it is highly
integrated. Given the complex nature of tourism industry, it is vital to understand the system and
structure of this industry, the tourists’ needs and behaviour.
Tourism is defined as “the temporary movement to destination outside the normal home and
workplace, the activities undertaken during the stay, and the facilities created to cater for the
needs of tourists” (Mathieson and Wall 1982). Although there is no consensus on the definition
of tourism among the researchers and lack of theories in tourism (Franklin and Crang 2001), the
conceptualization of tourism as a discipline leads to the emergence of conceptual and theoretical
approaches which contributes to the tourism literature. There are few types of theoretical models
of tourism; descriptive models, explanatory models and predictive models (Chorley and Haggett
1967). A descriptive model depicts the tourism system while explanatory model illustrates how
the system and subsystem function. The predictive model is developed based on causal
relationship which allows prediction.
Tourism is a multidisciplinary as the phenomenon within this discipline cannot be studied
using a single disciplinary (Matthews and Ritcher 1991). Tourism scholars adapt theories from
other disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics and etc. (Sheldon
1991). Borrowing theories from other discipline is common in tourism discipline. Even though,
there is short of theory building within this discipline, scholars developed few key concepts in
tourism such as tourism system (Leiper 1979), tourist typology (Plog 1974; Cohen 1972; Smith
1977) and Butler’s Tourist Area Life Cycle (TALC) (Butler, 1980). Various theories are
employed to understand the tourists’ travel behavior, motivation, consumption pattern, and

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Challenges arising from the tourism industry's integration with other sectors include managing diverse stakeholder interests, ensuring sustainable resource use, and addressing environmental and cultural impacts. These can be addressed by fostering collaboration among stakeholders, developing comprehensive policies that balance economic growth with sustainability, and encouraging innovations that promote responsible tourism practices .

Butler’s Tourist Area Life Cycle (TALC) contributed to the conceptual understanding of tourism by providing a conceptual model that outlines the stages of development and decline in a tourist destination. This model aids in predicting changes in tourism patterns and understanding the life cycle of tourism areas, offering insight into sustainable tourism management practices and destination planning .

Descriptive models in tourism depict the structure and components of the tourism system, providing a framework for understanding its basic elements. Explanatory models illustrate how these systems and subsystems function and interact, offering insights into the dynamics within the tourism industry. Predictive models build on causal relationships to forecast future trends and behaviors within tourism, aiding stakeholders in planning and decision-making processes .

Borrowed theories from disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, and economics play a vital role in tourism studies by providing foundational concepts and methods that are adapted to understand tourism-related phenomena. These theories aid in explaining tourists' travel behaviors, motivations, and consumption patterns, bridging theoretical gaps and enriching the tourism literature with diverse perspectives .

The lack of consensus on the definition of tourism hinders the development of unified theoretical frameworks as it leads to diverse interpretations and focuses within the field. This results in fragmented approaches to studying tourism phenomena, making it challenging to establish comprehensive theories that can be universally applied or tested. Consequently, researchers employ theories from various disciplines to fill these gaps .

The tourism industry is complex due to its multidisciplinary nature, which encompasses elements from psychology, sociology, anthropology, and economics. Each of these disciplines contributes to understanding different aspects of tourism such as travel behavior, motivation, and consumption patterns. This integration is necessary because the tourism phenomenon cannot be studied using a single disciplinary approach .

The concept of the 'Tourism System' is integral to developing tourism theories as it provides a structured framework for analyzing the interconnected elements and processes in tourism. It helps in understanding how different components, such as travel motivation and tourist behavior, interact and affect the overall system, thus facilitating the development of comprehensive and effective theoretical approaches .

Adapting theories from disciplines such as psychology and sociology is crucial for understanding tourist motivation and behavior because these disciplines offer insights into human behavior and social interactions that are directly applicable to tourism. This interdisciplinary approach allows for a deeper analysis of the psychological and social factors influencing travel decisions and experiences .

Theoretical models of tourism, particularly predictive models, aid in forecasting future trends by analyzing causal relationships and patterns in tourism activities. These models enable stakeholders to make informed decisions regarding resource allocation, marketing strategies, and policy formulation, thereby enhancing their ability to adapt to changing tourism landscapes .

As a major economic sector, tourism's contribution of 9.2% to world GDP and its employment of 235 million people highlight its significant influence on global economic policies. Policymakers must consider the economic benefits of tourism while addressing challenges such as sustainable development, resource management, and infrastructure needs to ensure long-term economic growth and stability .

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