The Tourism Optimisation Process: A case of Kangaroo Island in Australia

The purpose of the case study is to identify the process of optimization in island tourism by using a new conceptual development model of the tourism life cycle as well as island tourism indicators. The study also seeks an explanation as to how can we understand a complex and dynamic tourism system (Faulkner & Russell, 2003; Haywood, 2005) to develop more than just a sustainable destination, but an optimized tourism destination that satisfies both visitors and the local community. As a matter of fact, even though the concept of sustainability in tourism research has been further developed since changes to the tourism paradigm during the 1980s, there are still several untouched implications that need to be further developed (Choi & Sirakaya, 2005; Ritchie & Crouch, 2003). Therefore, new practical approaches and different conceptual models of sustainable tourism demand that new optimization approaches be implemented. In order to understand the more sophisticated tourism operating system compared to the era of mass tourism, more systematic and empirical models are needed for conceptual change and theoretical application, rather than the traditional Newtonian research methods. This case study of Kangaroo Island has focused on benchmarking of the TOMM (Tourism Optimisation Management Model (Manidis Roberts Consultants, 1997)) that contains indicators, implication processes, and an application to the MIPC (Multi-functional Interactive Process Cycle (Lim, CCS, 2006)). In-depth interview was carried out to identify four research questions about the optimisation process through an understanding of TOMM and its impact on Kangaroo Island (KI)