Simulation model for a joint mass/rural tourism system

Abstract

This paper presents a dynamic model representing the interaction between a mass tourism resort and a nearby area dedicated to rural tourism. The hypotheses incorporated in this model assume that environmental values from both destinations influence tourists' motivations for visiting one or the other area. The parameters used were calibrated to reflect, in general terms, the observed patterns of visitor arrivals and the increasing volume of accommodation provided in three coastal regions in Spain, where these two forms of tourism currently co-exist. By means of a simulation model, we show that the most effective measures for the industry's long-term sustainability are related to the regulation of new building construction and the promotion of both types of destination as a single, joint regional resource.