Quantitative characterization of chaordic tourist destination

• We propose the consideration of tourism as a complex adaptive system.
• We introduce the concept of chaordic system as a step forward to work in mixed environments that mix order and complexity.
• We introduce five quantitative measures that characterize a system as chaordic.
• We apply these measures to characterize chaordic Majorca as a tourist destination.
• We discuss the implications of this characterization in practice.

This paper highlights the new horizons opening with the applications of concepts from the application of the complexity science to tourism data, which are traditionally treated from an intradisciplinar point of view. From this new point of view, tourism is considered as a complex adaptive system. Complexity theory is rooted in the hard sciences, and social sciences have adopted it in recent times. Going a step further, we introduce the concept of chaordic system in tourism. This new thinking has appeared in the social sciences as a response to the current need to cope with contradictions and inconsistencies, adapting evolution without losing essence. We propose considering tourism as a chaordic system and analyzing the resulting managerial consequences. We propose the use of a set of measures to quantify a system as chaordic. Finally, we empirically analyze tourist arrivals to Majorca (Spain) to verify the existence of a chaordic system.