Serious Gaming to Stimulate Participatory Urban Tourism Planning

A 2020 study examines whether a serious game can stimulate participatory urban tourism planning, using a multiplayer policy game built on the Smart City Hospitality Framework. The game was played by 73 stakeholders across six European cities (Amsterdam, Belgrade, Darmstadt, Gothenburg, Stavanger, and Valencia), with data drawn from pre- and post-game surveys, in-game observation, and follow-up interviews six months later. The authors' central question is whether such a game can bring diverse actors together and deepen their grasp of the complexity of tourism governance.

The findings are generally positive on process but modest on outcomes. Participants rated the game as fun, creative, and valuable for stakeholder collaboration, with mean scores around 4.0 to 4.5 on a five-point scale, and enjoyment was significantly associated with learning. Players initially competed and performed suboptimally, but grew more cooperative and holistic after reflecting on their results, with Northern European cities engaging more quickly. Pre-game surveys revealed dissatisfaction with existing tourism governance, particularly weak implementation and limited evidence-based planning.

Substantive decision-making shifted only slightly. Players concentrated on short-term, visible issues, with long-term concerns such as climate change receiving little attention except in Stavanger, and smart hospitality scores changed little or declined in most cities. No concrete on-the-ground changes followed a single session.

The authors conclude that serious games are a useful but limited instrument for participatory planning. Their value depends on follow-up sessions, integration into broader engagement programmes, careful management of expectations, and attention to inclusiveness, and they call for further methodological work on design-led interventions of this kind.