Managing change in nature-based tourism: A decision-making model using linear programming

Abstract

In conditions of forced isolation, nature-based tourism meets the needs of safe and comfortable recreation and travel combined with the solution of acute issues of medical treatment and rehabilitation during the pandemic and post-pandemic periods. This study aims to develop a model for decision-making on change management in nature tourism based on the approach of linear economic and mathematical programming. The paper formalized changes in the variability of objective function parameters of the model and the system of its restrictions, following the structure of assets of nature-based tourism, balanced by the sustainability principle. The algorithm for implementing the model includes four stages: collection and processing of relevant data on nature-based tourism; considering changes in the objective function and the system of its limitations; linear programming with variability tests using the simplex method; defining ranges/limits in which decisions are made. The initial data are summarized and averaged based on the primary data analysis on the functioning of sanatoriums and other tourist and recreational facilities in Ukraine. Short-term nature-based tourism is considered, the services of which are classified according to the criterion of the primary purpose of travel: “wow-effect” tourism, sports tourism, health tourism, traditional recreation, and green tourism. The results make it possible to substantiate decisions on changes in recreational land areas and human resources, on the limits of changes in income due to the dynamics of service prices, as well as determine the price range while maintaining income structure and sustainability limits for natural and human assets of nature-based tourism.