Title: A decision-making model for the application of the new service system structure based on front-back stage decoupling into nature-based tourism district

Authors: Jue Chen; Jing Wang; Christophe Leyrie; Cecile Clergeau

Addresses: The MBA School and Tourism School, Zhejiang Gongshang University, 149 Jiaogong Road, 310035, Hangzhou, China ' Tourism School, Zhejiang Gongshang University, 18 Xuezheng Str., Xiasha, Hangzhou, 310018, China ' The Laboratory of Multidisciplinary Studies in Project Management, University of Québec at Chicoutimi, 555, University Boulevard, Chicoutimi (Québec), G7H 2B1, Canada ' School of Economics and Management, University of Nantes, Batiment Petit Port, Chemin de la Censive du Tertre, Nantes cedex 3, France

Abstract: Based on the understanding that some of the common problems found in nature-based tourism districts including inefficiency in resource utilisation, environmental pollution and poor service quality are closely related to the imbalance in the front-back stage structure of the entire tourism service system, this paper proposes a new system structure of tourism district based on front-back stage decoupling to solve these problems. Given that the new structure cannot be universally suitable for tourism districts of various natures, a decision-making model based on a comprehensive cost analysis is then provided to support the decision of whether or not to apply the new system structure into a tourism district. It compares the environmental quality costs with service provision costs of the new system structure and the traditional one, and then deduces the required minimum quantity of the standard business units (SBUs) needed, which finally leads to the decision making.

Keywords: service system decoupling; front and back stage; tourism district; shared service centres.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2017.088942

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2017 Vol.23 No.5/6, pp.513 - 527

Accepted: 05 Jul 2016
Published online: 03 Jan 2018 *

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