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Game theory, tourism

Encyclopedia of Tourism

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Game theory relies upon mathematical calculations and is used to predict an outcome based on interactions among multiple parties. The theory is reliant upon independent decisionmaking of individuals (Huang et al. 2010). It has been utilized in numerous academic fields, including financial, pricing, advertising, and consumer behavior studies. Game theory is defined as “a mathematical method of decisionmaking in which a competitive situation is analyzed to determine the optimal course of action for an interested party” (American Heritage Dictionary 2000).

While more commonplace in other disciplines, game theory’s usage in tourism research is limited. According to Buckley (2013), its first application in tourism studies examined eco-conscious hotel strategies, published almost 20 years ago. Game theory has been used minimally to investigate hotel pricing, tourism marketing, service quality, theme parks, and investors and stakeholders related to tourism operations (Buckley 2013). The...

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References

  • American Heritage Dictionary 2000 Game Theory. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

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  • Buckley, R. 2013 Social-Benefit Certification as a Game. Tourism Management 37:203-209.

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  • Huang, G., W. Chen, H. Song, and X. Zhang 2010 Game-Theoretic Study of the Dynamics of Tourism Supply Chains for Package Holidays Under Quantity Competition. Tourism Economics 16:197-216.

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  • Song, H., L., Dwyer, G. Li, and Z. Cao 2012 Tourism Economics Research: A Review and Assessment. Annals of Tourism Research 39:1653-1682.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hospitality and Tourism Management, San Francisco State University, College of Business, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, 94132, USA

    James Brian Aday

  2. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, 79413, USA

    Nicholas E. Johnston

Authors
  1. James Brian Aday
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  2. Nicholas E. Johnston
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Correspondence to James Brian Aday .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Hospitality Leadership, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wisconsin, USA

    Jafar Jafari

  2. School of Hotel and Tourism Management, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR

    Honggen Xiao

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© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland (outside the USA)

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Aday, J.B., Johnston, N.E. (2014). Game theory, tourism. In: Jafari, J., Xiao, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Tourism. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_476-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_476-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-01669-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Business and ManagementReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Game Theory in Tourism
    Published:
    05 February 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_476-2

  2. Original

    Game theory, tourism
    Published:
    25 September 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01669-6_476-1

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