Applying a lifecycle perspective to explain tourism network development

In the twenty-first century, classic organization forms will be replaced by new forms of network organization. Specifically, the provision of complex, multi-optional and high-quality services raises numerous issues of managing and analysing network organizations in the service economy, not least in the service sector of tourism. This is a conceptual paper that explores the pertinent issues of tourism networks by discussing the application of general network research to characteristics of the tourism industry. The paper undertakes a thorough review of the relevant literature before developing propositions regarding network research in the tourism industry. This is one of the few studies to have addressed network analysis by means of the lifecycle model of destinations. Future research should undertake empirical studies to validate and/or modify the propositions presented in this conceptual paper.