Demarketing as A Demand Management Strategy: A Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping Approach

Abstract

This study aims to examine the literature on demarketing strategies by analysing their potential integration within the framework of If-Then relationships in sustainable tourism and tourist demand management. 39 individuals responsible for the tourism industry were interviewed, and respondents were asked about the impact of tourism on Cappadocia’s economy, culture, and society. Cognitive maps were then created according to the responses, and a list of variables was compiled. These maps were subjected to analysis on a computer using the technique of fuzzy cognitive mapping, with outputs generated based on a structural analysis of variables and an examination of the relationships between them, using a method known as ‘if-then’ reasoning. Structural analysis identified 114 variables and 841 connections. The initial 10 central variables were included in the study. The most central variables were demand growth, destruction, income growth and investment opportunities. Furthermore, simulations based on if-then relationships have demonstrated that there are both positive and negative outcomes in the relationship networks of variables with one another. This finding serves to illustrate the dual nature of tourism growth. This study introduces a measurement technique to demand management and demarketing in tourism. Demarketing represents an effective instrument for achieving equilibrium in the context of intense demand in tourist destinations, thereby ensuring sustainability.

Keywords

• Sustainability
• Demand Management
• Demarketing
• Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping

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