Co-designing tourism systems for experiences presents challenges for both tourism practice and academia. Utilizing systems engineering methodology offers a significant opportunity to intentionally incorporate sustainable development into the design of destination systems for tourism experiences.
What was the goal of this research?
The goal of this PhD research was to explore and answer key questions related to the design of sustainable tourism experience systems. Specifically, it aimed to understand the design processes for such systems, how co-design can support inclusive and democratic development of sustainable destinations, and whether a methodology could be developed to guide sustainable destination design processes.
What method was employed?
This research was conducted as part of the SmartCulTour project, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. The methodology involved examining how destination systems can be purposefully designed to facilitate and steer visitors by developing, changing, and managing experience touchpoints. The research also focused on identifying effective co-design strategies and determining the necessary stakeholders and design processes.
What findings did we uncover?
The research identified several important aspects of designing sustainable tourism experience systems:
Design Processes: Sustainable tourism experience systems require well-structured design processes that consider the development, modification, and removal of experience touchpoints.
Co-Design: Inclusive and democratic development of sustainable destinations can be supported through co-design strategies, involving various stakeholders in the design process.
Methodology Development: A methodology was proposed to guide sustainable destination design processes, ensuring that tourism and hospitality contribute to sustainability transitions.
This PhD research contributes to a better understanding of how to design tourism systems that promote sustainability, highlighting the importance of inclusive and well-structured design processes.
