Abstract

This book aims to provide a comprehensive review of the contribution of network analysis to the understanding of tourism destinations and organizations. Theoretical and methodological aspects are discussed along with a series of applications. While this is a relatively new approach in the tourism literature, in other social and natural sciences network analysis has a long tradition and has provided important insights for the knowledge of the structure and the dynamics of many complex systems. The study of network structures, both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view, can deliver a number of useful outcomes also for the analysis of tourism destinations and organizations.

The book is a real joy to read. I congratulate the editors for an interesting, succinct, and comprehensive book on the application of network analysis in interpreting and analysing tourism.

At last a book that addresses a fast growing field of enquiry within tourism studies, a field in which there has been a noticeable paucity of compressed knowledge in the medium of a reader for academic studies. A great strength of the book is certainly its accessibility to the 'lay' person interested in the potential and limitations of network analysis techniques in the realm of tourism research. As such it will be of particular interest to the growing body of network theory oriented research students at doctoral and possibly masters levels in tourism institutions and departments, as well as offering insights to those in more generic fields within social and political science studies. It is a commendable and timely introduction to the field, which will be of particular use as a research methods reader in network analysis.

Noel Scott has extensive experience as a senior tourism manager and researcher and over 25 years in industry research positions. He holds a doctorate in tourism management and Master degrees in marketing and business administration and is a senior lecturer at The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Rodolfo Baggio holds a degree in Physics (MPhys) and a PhD in Tourism Management. After having worked for leading information technology firms for over 20 years he is presently at the Bocconi University, Milan, Italy, where he teaches courses in Computer Science and coordinates the Information and Communication Technologies area at the Master in Economics and Tourism. He is also Research Fellow at the Carlo F. Dondena Centre for Research on Social Dynamics. He has managed several international research projects and actively researches and publishes in the field of information technology and tourism. His current interests focus on the application of complexity theory and network analysis methods to the study of tourism destinations.

Chris Cooper is Pro-Vice Chancellor and Dean of the Business Faculty at Oxford Brookes University, UK. He was Chair of the UN World Tourism Organization Education Council (2005 – 2007) and was awarded the UN Ulysses Medal for contributions to tourism education and policy. He co-edits Current Issues in Tourism and sits on editorial boards for leading tourism, hospitality and leisure journals. He has authored a number of leading textbooks and is the co-series editor of Channelview’s influential book series ‘Aspects of Tourism’.