Modelling Site Location Decisions in Tourism

This paper focuses on two different approaches that can be applied to site location analysis and selection in tourism: spreadsheet models, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Rule Based Expert Systems are also discussed. The LOCAT model (a spreadsheet-based algebraic approach) attempts to measure the total attractiveness index of a location by calculating the impact of its components (degree of accessibility, total catchment population, level of tourist product uniqueness and probability of tourist patronisation). The Analytic Hierarchy Process provides a general structure capable of representing a wide range of decision problems. It is especially effective when dealing within complex multivariate decisions and with variables which are difficult to quantify.