Systemic planning is presented as an appropriate model for tourism development in the application of sustainable proposals, since it enables better conditions for economic sustainability, contributes to social sustainability, and supports the environmental sustainability of tourism. Management by processes is a management methodology which is appropriate for the present-day scenario of business and territorial organizations, which is characterized by permanent change, continual innovation and interaction with the client in the management processes. Based on these premises, the objective of this essay is to present a proposal for understanding the tourism territorial system. The proposal was presented in two parts: the process of understanding and the verification of the applicability of a tourism territory, in this case, the tourism destination of Itapema - SC. The relevance of the proposal was demonstrated, based on a specific reflection, which presents the dynamic of tourism as the predominant variable in the process of construction of its territory. The proposed process proved to be sufficiently flexible for its application to other territories, adapting to the specific dynamics. Key words: Tourism System; Planning and Management of the Territory; Management by processes.