Destination design: New perspectives for tourism destination development. (March 2021) - Volgger, Michael
Abstract: Theories on destination management, destination leadership and destination governance have made noteworthy contributions to the advancement of tourism research. However, current global dynamics in regards to political, social, technological and economic developments demand a revision of traditional methods and instruments of destination development. This paper suggests perspectives rooted in design and design thinking as a source for gaining fresh understandings of challenges in tourism destinations and for offering innovative solutions. This paper reflects on the possibility of integrating design approaches into the theorising on and practice of destination development. It explores how a transdisciplinary fusion of notions can ultimately result in a new vision for destination development. Highlights: This paper conceptually links destination research with design thinking. We provide an overview on past tourism destination research approaches. We outline core principles of a destination design paradigm. We suggest transdisciplinary and participatory research as a main tenet.