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UNWTO Indicators
of Sustainable Development
for Tourism Destinations
Presentation by: Carolyn N. Wild
Consultant on UNWTO Indicators Program
President, WILD International, Tourism
Development Consulting
wild@travel-net.com
Abstract
This presentation is an introduction to the use
and application of the UNWTO’s indicators of
sustainable development for tourism
destinations. Indicators are tools to
provide accurate information to tourism managers
and decision-makers. Indicators can give a
warning of actions that need to be taken to
ensure sustainability of a destination. By
monitoring social, economic and environmental
impacts of tourism, managers can make informed
decisions.
Examples of typical issues and related UNWTO
Indicators include the following:
|
Typical Socio-Cultural Issues |
Examples of UNWTO Indicators
|
|
Maintaining local satisfaction |
% who agree that tourism is positive for
community |
|
Maintaining cultural assets |
% of tourist revenues which help
maintain or conserve key sites and
structures |
|
Tourist well-being |
% tourists who feel safe in the
destination |
Typical Economic Issues |
Examples of UNWTO Indicators
|
|
Reducing seasonality
|
ratio of tourist arrivals in peak month
relative to annual mean |
|
Sustaining tourism related employment |
# jobs in industry, % local, % full time |
|
Reducing currency leakage |
net economic benefit per tourist which
remains in destination |
|
Managing the pace of development |
% occupancy, annual build rate |
|
Typical Environmental Issues |
Examples of UNWTO Indicators
|
|
Protecting critical ecosystems |
extent of protected areas – sq.km,
wildlife breeding success rates |
|
Climate change |
measures of vulnerability and response |
|
Managing destinations within carrying
capacity |
tourists per sq. metre in peak period
(day/season), % area degraded |
|
Energy management |
use per day per tourist, ratio per
capita of local use to tourist use |
|
Water availability |
% annual supply used, # days shortage
per year |
|
Sewage |
% waste water treated to standard,
number of contamination events |
Destination applications:
The UNWTO Guidebook “Indicators for sustainable
development at tourism destinations” includes
applications of indicators for 18 specific types
of destinations. This presentation will focus on
indicators for coastal zones, beach
destinations, small islands, and cruise ship
destinations.
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BIO-DATA
 Carolyn’s love of nature is contagious and
inspires other to recognize the benefits of
tourism for long-term economic benefits and the
protections of natural and cultural heritage.
She is President and owner of WILD
International, a tourism consulting company with
offices in Ottawa, Canada, and Adelaide,
Australia.
Carolyn is recognized internationally for her
expertise in ecotourism and community
development. Her experience extends from Algeria
to Zambia and from the Arctic to the Australian
Outback.
Her
key interest is appropriate development in
natural areas which benefits local communities
and conserves the environment. She consults on
tourism planning, marketing and destination
development and management.
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