Resumo: Also known by other denominations such as as systemism and systemic approach, the General Systems Theory, proposed by an Austrian biologist, Ludwig von Bertalanffy was constructed during the 1920s and 1030s, although it was not published until years later. It is important to emphasise that its main purpose was to put an end to the cartesianism that dominated the whole of Science at that time, considering that some realities should be understood in a holistic and subjective way. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to present this theory and to reflect on its proposals, thereby showing how it became accepted by other knowledge areas, including tourism. Specifically, the discussion in the article attempts to prove that the General Systems Theory is adequate for Tourism analysis, considering its complexity. Thus, for the development of the study, bibliographic research was conducted, considering both the general context of the theory as well as its specific topics related to tourism, although its applicability is not contemplated. The results of these reflections reveal that the General Systems Theory can be used as the basis for applying other analytical techniques. Although it is perceived as an advancement of the General Systems Theory, it is still slower than activity development.
