ABM RoutePlanner: An agent-based model simulation for suggesting preference-based routes in Spain

ABSTRACT Spain ranks second in the world for the number of international tourists. These tourists have different preferences, which influence their choice of tourist routes depending on the activities offered by provinces. There are currently no routes customised according to the preferences of a travel party, which makes the supply of tourist packages complex. We propose an agent-based model, named ABM RoutePlanner, which simulates the behaviour of travel parties through provinces of Spain. The model is developed as an application of the ODD protocol. This paper makes two contributions. First, we describe a model applicable to the identification of appropriate routes for different combinations of tourists’ preferences in some (hypothetical) environments. Second, we present the actual routes that will allow tour operators to define strategic plans that motivate tourists to visit the provinces included in the routes. The simulation model was calibrated with data extracted from TripAdvisor and Spanish tourist surveys.