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Measuring THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM of . Indeed, the SDGs embody a worldwide commitment towards sustainable Tourism is a social, cultural and economic development through more holistic, integrated phenomenon which contributes to economic approaches. Integrated policy requires growth, social development and mutual integrated data. understanding around the world. It has an impact on the , the natural and built Sustainable tourism is tourism that environment, the local in the places takes full account of its current and future visited and the visitors themselves. Tourism economic, social and environmental impacts, therefore depends on the environment, the addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, social and economic structures, including the environment and host communities. employment, and on governance. It is of vital Sustainable tourism should thus make optimal interest for the sector to sustain the basis of its use of environmental resources, respect host prosperity – the tourism destinations – in all its communities and ensure viable, long-term dimensions. economic operations, providing benefits that are distributed fairly among all stakeholders. The concept of sustainable tourism has been advancing for over 20 years, becoming Making Tourism More Sustainable - A Guide for Policy increasingly relevant in national and Makers, UNEP and UNWTO, 2005 international agendas. The (UN) General Assembly has adopted several resolutions acknowledging its importance as THE POLICY RATIONALE FOR A a tool for development, poverty eradication STATISTICAL FRAMEWORK and environmental protection, culminating in the UN declaration of 2017 as the International A common and robust set of data is critical Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development for governments and stakeholders to design, (IY2017). This is especially timely following implement and monitor effective sustainable the adoption of the United Nations 2030 tourism policies. Indeed, evidence-based Development Agenda and the Sustainable decision-making requires the development Development Goals (SDGs). of a rigorous, statistical approach to the measurement of sustainable tourism. Tourism has significant potential to drive socioeconomic development and Important achievements have been made environmental conservation and is mentioned in tourism measurement over the past in 3 of the 17 SDGs, relating to sustainable decades, in particular the two UN statistical economic growth and decent employment, standards adopted in 2008: the International sustainable production and , Recommendations on Tourism Statistics and and the conservation and sustainable use the Tourism Satellite Account: Recommended Methodological Framework. Together, these In order to support measurement initiatives statistical frameworks enable countries to worldwide and building on this past work, the produce data that is credible and comparable World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), with – across countries, over time and in concert the support of the United Nations Statistics with other standard-based data. These Division (UNSD), launched the Measuring frameworks help integrate and organize data Sustainable Tourism (MST) project to develop for the purposes of deriving indicators such as an international statistical framework for tourism GDP. measuring tourism’s role in . The resulting Statistical Earlier work, including the publications Framework for Measuring Sustainable “Making tourism more sustainable: A guide Tourism (MST Framework) aims to extend for policy makers” (UNWTO/UNEP, 2005) and the current statistical frameworks beyond their “Indicators of Sustainable Development for economic focus, to incorporate environmental, Tourism Destinations: A Guidebook” (UNWTO, and social dimensions and at relevant spatial 2004) have fostered participatory discussions, levels: global, national and sub-national. particularly at the local destinations level, and raised awareness about tourism as an essential part of the economic and social systems and Sustainable Tourism Information diagram the environment. The Statistical Framework for Measuring The need for more and improved data is patent Sustainable Tourism is a critical next step across all stakeholder groups, cutting across in supporting universal, cross-sectorial, global, national and subnational (including sustainable tourism policies and practices that local) levels. In addition to the interest from work from an integrated, coherent and robust national governments and its relevance in information base. The MST Framework is also international agendas, sustainable tourism is a response to the demand for high quality especially important at subnational levels. For indicators that monitor progress towards the example, UNWTO’s International Network of SDGs. Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO) gathers Observatories that are dedicated to better understanding, monitoring and advising on policies for the sustainable development of policy themes / analysis tourism in their destinations. aspirations / targets

derivation indicators integration statistical and accounting frameworks economic | environmental | social collection data data data data THE ADVANTAGES OF A MST FRAMEWORK ENGAGEMENT The MST Framework will expand the current the System of Environmental Economic UNWTO is working with the support of the range of tourism statistics to cover the economic, Accounting (SEEA) therefore addressing some United Nations Statistics Division and leading environmental and social dimensions of vital policy questions, including: country experts, under auspices of the sustainable tourism at all relevant spatial scales. UNWTO Committee on Statistics and Tourism The benefits of this framework for decision • environmental : Satellite Account and the United Nations makers and other stakeholders include: emissions, solid waste, wastewater, Committee of Experts on Environmental- disruption of ecosystems and ; Economic Accounting (UNCEEA). a) The provision of a common language for • dependency of tourism on the environment: discussing sustainable tourism within water and energy requirements, healthy To lead the development of the framework the tourism sector and with other key and good quality ecosystems (beaches, and facilitate wide stakeholder engaged, policy areas such as planning, industry, reefs, forests); UNWTO and UNSD have set up the infrastructure, environment, social affairs, • environmental protection expenditure and multidisciplinary Working Group of Experts finance and central banks; environmental taxes; on Measuring Sustainable Tourism. • some socio-economic impacts and b) The capacity to compare the performance dependencies of tourism such as Country pilot studies are being developed of the tourism sector and the impacts of employment. to contribute to the design and test the different policies on a consistent basis with statistical framework under development other sectors and in different destinations for relevance and feasibility. and countries; ENGAGEMENT For more information on the MST project, c) The provision of a basis for improving please visit http://statistics.unwto.org/mst co-ordination in data collection and UNWTO is working with the support of the or contact UNWTO’s Statistics, Trends and organization (including identification of data United Nations Statistics Division and leading Policy Programme at: [email protected] sources and data gaps), as well as for country experts, under auspices of the improving institutional arrangements for the UNWTO Committee on Statistics and Tourism governance and management of statistics Satellite Account and the United Nations on sustainable tourism; Committee of Experts on Environmental- Economic Accounting (UNCEEA). d) The provision of a single, coherent and complete picture of the state of sustainable To lead the development of the framework tourism and its trends, in all its dimensions and facilitate wide stakeholder engaged, and across all spatial scales. UNWTO and UNSD have set up the multidisciplinary Working Group of Experts on Measuring Sustainable Tourism. In the field of environmental , the MST Framework will bridge the UN standards Country pilot studies are being developed of the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) with to contribute to the design and test the statistical framework under development for relevance and feasibility.

For more information on the MST project, please visit http://statistics.unwto.org/mst or contact UNWTO’s Statistics, Trends and Policy Programme at: [email protected]

Measuring Sustainable Tourism