This paper introduces the Delphi technique, assesses its major strengths and weaknesses, and explores how the method might be applied in the context of tourism research. A case study is presented of a Delphi study conducted into how the term 'marine ecotourism' might best be defined. The case study is instructive in that a number of innovative features were built into the methodology, including the use of a 'straw model' to guide experts through the Delphi process and the use of success criteria to determine whether or not the expert panel remained sufficiently well balanced. These innovations attempted to address some of the evident shortcomings of previous Delphi studies in the tourism field. The chapter then concludes by presenting some tentative operational guidelines for applying the Delphi technique in tourism research.
This chapter demonstrates the validity of taking a case study approach to research, particularly when using multiple methods, in order to understand complex relationships and interactions. After outlining the philosophical context of the case study approach, with a brief discussion on its place in the social sciences and its range of purposes, an explanation for some tourism researchers' dismissive attitude towards the case study approach is postulated. The chapter ends with a description of a case of 'film-induced tourism', where the multi-method case study approach was used to understand better the impacts of an Australia television programme (Sea Change) on the community (Barwon Heads, Victoria) among which it was filmed.
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