Indicators of Sustainable Development for Tourism Destinations A Guidebook Copyright © 2004 World Tourism Organization Calle Capitán Haya, 42 28020 Madrid, Spain Indicators of Sustainable Development for Tourism Destinations: A Guidebook ISBN 92-844-0726-5 Published and printed by the World Tourism Organization, Madrid, Spain First printing in 2004 All rights reserved The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication does not imply the expression of any opinions whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Tourism Organization concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. 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Table of Contents Acknowledgements . 1 Preface . 3 How to Use this Guidebook . 5 Part 1 Introduction . 7 1.1 Indicators of Sustainable Development for Tourism. 8 1.2 Why Use Indicators?. 8 1.2.1 Indicators at Different Levels . 10 1.2.2 Types of Indicators. 11 1.2.3 Measurement and Expression of Indicators . 12 1.2.4 Indicators and Planning . 13 1.2.5 Indicators as a Catalyst . 15 1.3 Progress in Indicators Development and Use . 16 1.3.1 Growing Indicators Initiatives Worldwide . 16 1.3.2 Advances in Indicators Methodologies. 17 1.3.3 Indicators Initiatives of Other Sectors. 18 1.3.4 Indicators and Performance Measurement. 19 1.4 Expected Use and Users . 19 Part 2 Indicator Development Procedures . 21 2.1 Key Steps to Indicators Development and Use . 22 Initial Phase: Research and Organization . 24 Step 1 Definition/Delineation of the Destination . 24 Step 2 Use of Participatory Processes. 26 Step 3 Identification of Tourism Assets and Risks; Situation Analysis. 32 Step 4 Long-term Vision for a Destination . 35 Indicator Development Phase . 35 Step 5 Selection of Priority Issues and Policy Questions . 35 Step 6 Identification of Desired Indicators . 37 Step 7 Inventory of Data Sources . 38 Step 8 Selection Procedures . 40 Implementation . 43 Step 9 Evaluation of Feasibility/Implementation Procedures. 43 Step 10 Data Collection and Analysis . 46 Step 11 Accountability and Communication . 50 Step 12 Monitoring and Evaluation of Indicators Application . 52 2.2 Use of Other Sections of the Guidebook within this Process . 54 © 2004 World Tourism Organization - ISBN 92-844-0726-5 II Part 3 Sustainablility Issues and Indicators in Tourism . 55 The Presentation of the Issues and Their Indicators . 55 3.1 Wellbeing of Host Communities . 56 3.1.1 Local Satisfaction With Tourism Baseline Issue. 56 Attitudes, Dissatisfaction, Community Reaction 3.1.2 Effects of Tourism on Communities Baseline Issue . 57 Community Attitudes, Social Benefits, Changes in Lifestyles, Housing, Demographics 3.1.3 Access by Local Residents to Key Assets . 65 Access to Important Sites, Economic Barriers, Satisfaction with Access Levels 3.1.4 Gender Equity . 68 Family Wellbeing, Equal Opportunities in Employment, Traditional Gender Roles, Access to Land and Credit 3.1.5 Sex Tourism. 71 Child Sex Tourism, Education, Prevention Strategies, Control Strategies 3.2 Sustaining Cultural Assets. 76 3.2.1 Conserving Built Heritage . 76 Cultural Sites, Monuments, Damage, Maintenance, Designation, Preservation 3.3 Community Participation in Tourism . 83 3.3.1 Community Involvement and Awareness . 83 Information, Empowerment, Participation, Community Action 3.4 Tourist Satisfaction . 86 3.4.1 Sustaining Tourist Satisfaction Baseline Issue. 86 Expectations, Complaints, Problems, Perceptions 3.4.2 Accessibility . 90 Mobility, Older Tourists, Persons with Disabilities 3.5 Health and Safety . 94 3.5.1 Health . 94 Public Health, Community Health, Food Safety, Worker Health and Safety 3.5.2 Coping with Epidemics and International Transmission of Disease . 101 Facilitation, Contingency Planning, Impacts on Tourism 3.5.3 Tourist Security . 104 Risk, Safety, Civil Strife, Terrorism, Natural Disasters, Impacts, Management Response, Contingency Planning, Facilitation 3.5.4 Local Public Safety . 109 Crime, Risk, Harassment, Public Security, Tourist Anxiety 3.6 Capturing Economic Benefits from Tourism . 111 3.6.1 Tourism Seasonality Baseline Issue . 111 Occupancy, Peak Season, Shoulder Season, Infrastructure, Product Diversity, Employment 3.6.2 Leakages . 117 Imported Goods, Foreign Exchange, Internal Leakage, External Leakage, Invisible Leakage 3.6.3 Employment. 119 Training, Quality, Skills, Turnover, Seasonality, Pay Levels III 3.6.4 Tourism as a Contributor to Nature Conservation . 123 Financing for Conservation, Local Economic Alternatives, Constituency Building, Tourist Participation in Conservation 3.6.5 Community and Destination Economic Benefits Baseline Issue . 128 Capturing Benefits, Tourism Revenues, Tourism Contribution to the Local Economy, Business Investment, Community Investment, Taxes, Satellite Account 3.6.6 Tourism and Poverty Alleviation . 135 Equity, Micro Enterprises, Employment and Income Opportunities, SMEs 3.6.7 Competitiveness of Tourism Businesses . 143 Price and Value, Quality, Differentiation, Specialization, Vitality, Business Cooperation, Long-term Profitability 3.7 Protection of Valuable Natural Assets . 147 3.7.1 Protecting Critical Ecosystems . 147 Fragile Sites, Endangered Species 3.7.2 Sea Water Quality . 149 Contamination, Perception of Water Quality 3.8 Managing Scarce Natural Resources . 152 3.8.1 Energy Management Baseline Issue. 152 Energy Saving, Efficiency, Renewables 3.8.2 Climate Change and Tourism . 155 Mitigation, Adaptation, Extreme Climatic Events, Risks, Impacts on Destinations, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Transport, Energy Use 3.8.3 Water Availability and Conservation Baseline Issue. 165 Water Supply, Water Pricing, Recycling, Shortages 3.8.4 Drinking Water Quality Baseline Issue . 169 Purity of Supply, Contamination Impact on Tourist Health and Destination Image 3.9 Limiting Impacts of Tourism Activity . 171 3.9.1 Sewage Treatment Baseline Issue . 171 Wastewater Management, Extent of System, Effectiveness, Reducing Contamination 3.9.2 Solid Waste Management Baseline Issue . 173 Garbage, Reduction, Reuse, Recycling, Deposit, Collection, Hazardous Substances 3.9.3 Air Pollution . 180 Air Quality, Health, Pollution from Tourism, Perception by Tourists 3.9.4 Controlling Noise Levels. 183 Measuring Noise Levels, Perception of Noise 3.9.5 Managing Visual Impacts of Tourism Facilities and Infrastrucure . 185 Siting, Construction, Design, Landscaping 3.10 Controlling Tourist Activities and Levels Baseline Issue . 192 3.10.1 Controlling Use Intensity . 192 Stress on Sites and Systems, Tourist Numbers, Crowding 3.10.2 Managing Events . 196 Sport Events, Fairs, Festivities, Crowd Control IV 3.11 Destination Planning and Control . 204 3.11.1 Integrating Tourism into Local/Regional Planning . 204 Information for Planners, Plan Evaluation, Results of Plan Implementation 3.11.2 Development Control Baseline Issue . 207 Control Procedures, Land Use, Property, Management, Enforcement 3.11.3 Tourism-Related Transport . 210 Mobility Patterns, Safety, Transport Systems, Efficiency, In-Destination Transport, Transport to/from Destination 3.11.4 Air Transport - Responding to Changes in Patterns and Access . 219 Environmental Impacts, Planning and Security 3.12 Designing Products and Services . 223 3.12.1 Creating Trip Circuits and Routes . ..