0160-7383/97 $17.00+0.00 PII:SO160-7383(96)00055-2 QUANTITATIVE VERSUS QUALITATIVE TOURISM RESEARCH

Abstract: In order to examine the importance crf “quantitative ” vs. “qualitative ” tourism research, similar developments in anthropolo$Q arc examined. In addition, the impact of such thought upon marketing is discussed. ‘I‘hr tradeoffs of choosing “qualitative ” or “scientific” techniques arr overtly cunsidcrcd, “scirnce ” and “art ” in research aw operationally defined, and the strength of each method is juxtaposed and justified. Such an analysis is vital since tourism seeks to build its own distinct rcscarc h tradition. An c.clrctic approach of choosing research methods is recommended in li,ght of the fact that tourism scholars and practitioners deal with complex phenomena and, as a result, rigorous, scientific methods are not always appropriate for the problems cnwuntered. Keywords: quantitative research, qualitativr research, humanism, anthropolo<gv, marketing, rrsearch tradeoffs. 0 1997 Elsevicr Science Ltd R&urn & Recherche quantitative et qualitative. Pour comparer I’importance de la rechcrchr qualitative ct quantitative, on warnine des d~veloppcmcnts similaires dans I’anthropologie. On disrate I’impact des dew approchrs sur Iv marketing, et on Cvalue les avantagcs rt les difficultCs dc chaque mCthodc. On dCfinit optratil)nnc,ll~:lnrnt la science ct I’art de la recherchc, puis on justific I’importance de ccs dcnu asptrts de la rcchcrchr. Une trllc analyse cst essentielle, puisque Ic tourisme cherche?I construirc sa propre tradition dr recherche. L’articlr rccommande une approche tclcctique dans Ic choir dr mCthodologie, tenant comptc du fait quc les Crudits et les practiciens du tourismr s’occupcnt de ph~norn~ncs complexes, et done Irs mbthodes scicntifiques rigourcuses ne convienncnt pas toujours aux probl?mcs que ncus rrncontmns. Mot.+cl&: recherche quantitative, rrchrrche qualitative, humanisme, anthropologic, market-ing, avantages et difficult & dc rrchrrchc. 0 1997 Elsevicr Science I.t