1. UNIT 8. RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
IMPACT MONITORING FOR SUSTAINABILITY

2. Unit outline
Objectives
By the end of the unit participants will be able to:
• Explain how to apply research skills and analyse
captured data
• Explain how to design success criteria and
performance indicators for monitoring and
evaluating tour products and services
• Explain how to interpret research output on impacts
of tourism products and services
• Explain how to implement principles of continuous
improvement in monitoring and product
development
Topics
1. Overview of
responsible tourism
impact monitoring for
sustainability
2. Planning & organising a
monitoring programme
3. Developing monitoring
indicators
4. Implementing
, adapting & improving
a monitoring
programme

3. TOPIC 1. OVERVIEW OF RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
IMPACT MONITORING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
UNIT 8. RESPONSIBLE TOURISM IMPACT MONITORING FOR SUSTAINABILIY
Image source:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Group_discussion_at_GLAM-Wiki_2013.JPG

4. The role and importance of tourism impact
monitoring
• Tourism markets and
destinations are always changing
• Monitoring is critical for
evaluating and managing change
• Monitoring helps:
– Improve understanding about the
effects of tourism
– Identify where improvement is
needed and where change is
occurring
– Enable destinations and businesses
to remain competitive
4

5. A tourism world without monitoring…
• Without data of tourism
conditions and trends that
monitoring provides, planners
and managers:
– Cannot assure stakeholders of the
reliability of their decisions;
– Cannot respond to public concerns and criticisms; and
– Cannot properly fulfil their responsibilities or judge the
effectiveness of their actions.
• Moreover, if planners and managers do not undertake
the monitoring, someone else will – and such monitoring
may well be biased Adapted from: Eagles, P., McCool, S. & Haynes, C. 2002, Sustainable Tourism in Protected
Areas: Guidelines for Planning and Management, IUCN Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK
Picture source:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevendepolo/4605621230/

6. Key characteristics of responsible tourism
impact monitoring for sustainability
3. Requires SMART target
setting

7. 1. Responsible tourism impact monitoring
ensures tourism development is strategic
Identifies
indicators
Sets targets Promotes
effective
monitoring
Requires
evaluation of
results
Fosters
adaptation &
continuous
improvement

8. 2. Responsible tourism impact monitoring
ensures sustainable tourism objectives are met
Environmental
objectives
Social
objectives
Economic
objectives

9. 3. Responsible tourism impact monitoring
ensures objectives are SMART
SMART OBJECTIVES
Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely

10. 4. Responsible tourism impact monitoring
considers the concerns of key stakeholders
Communities
Business
Authorities
Others

11. The different objectives of stakeholders in
monitoring tourism
COMMUNITY
MEMBERS
Want to know how
tourism is affecting
their
livelihoods, culture
and environment
INDUSTRY
Want to know
changes in tourism
markets and
implications for
business growth
NGOs
Want to know the
impact of tourism on
their particular area
of concern
LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS
Want to know how
tourism is performing
and how well it
contributes to local
development goals
NATIONAL
GOVERNMENTS
Want to know the
economic and social
value of tourism and
how it contributes to
national
development goals

12. The benefits of responsible tourism
impact monitoring
IMPACT
MONITORING
BENEFITS
Progress &
effectiveness
Decision-
making
Accountability
Planning
Policy-making
& advocacy

13. Monitor tourism impacts because prevention and
early intervention is always better than cure!
In
tourism, symptoms
of negative impacts
can be gradual…
After a negative
impact has been
identified
opportunities
to manage
become more
limited…
…and problems
can be difficult
to spot.
…and in many
cases returning
to the original
state can be
impossible
“Gosh where
did all these
tourists come
from?
I don’t remember
seeing so many a
few years ago!”
“I thought we were
able to handle all the
tourists unit I saw
some kids acting like
foreigners and it
occurred to me just
how much our
culture has
changed!”
“When we started
running tours to the
nearby cave some
tourists damaged
the beautiful rock
formations. Now
we have lost them
forever”
“We really have too
many tourists here
but with so many
businesses now
depending on them
reducing the volume
would never be
supported”

14. Implementing a responsible tourism impact
monitoring programme of sustainability
PLANNING & ORGANISING
A MONITORING
PROGRAMME
• Establish a monitoring
steering committee or
group
• Plan a monitoring
programme
DEVELOPING
MONITORING INDICATORS
• Review existing
indicators
• Shortlist and select
indicators
IMPLEMENTING A
MONITORING
PROGRAMME
• Evaluate feasibility and
data collection
methods
• Collect and analyse
data
• Communicate and
report results
ADAPTING &
IMPROVING THE
MONITORING
PROGRAMME
Learn and adapt from
wins and losses
TOPIC 3 TOPIC 4TOPIC 2

15. TOPIC 2. PLANNING AND ORGANISING
A MONITORING PROGRAMME
UNIT 8. RESPONSIBLE TOURISM IMPACT MONITORING FOR SUSTAINABILITY

16. Preparing for a tourism impact monitoring
programme of sustainability
1. Establish a
tourism monitoring
steering committee
or group
2. Plan the tourism
monitoring programme
of sustainability

17. 1. Establishing a monitoring
steering committee or group
Who has the
leadership to
drive & co-
ordinate the
programme?
Who has the
skills to review
and adjust the
programme?
Who has
networks to
disseminate
results?
Who has the
knowledge to
develop programme
objectives and areas
of focus?
Who has the
resources to
implement the
programme?
Picture source: Pixabay, http://pixabay.com/

18. Involve stakeholders according to where they
fit best into the monitoring process
PLANNING
PHASE
DEVELOPMENT
PHASE
DATA COLLECTION
PHASE
IMPLEMENTATION
PHASE
Local
officials, planners, develo
pment consultants, donor
agencies, community
groups
Community members for
assessment of key issues
and indicators
Community members
and tourism industry
representatives
Multi-stakeholder group

19. Stakeholder groups to consider in tourism
monitoring programmes
PUBLIC SECTOR
• Municipal authorities
• Regional authorities
• National, state, province, and
county departments & ministries
responsible for tourism
• Other ministries & agencies in
areas affecting tourism (e.g.
environment, health)
• Agencies with an interest in the
planning or maintenance of
specific attractions
PRIVATE SECTOR
• Private sector entrepreneurs and
employees
• Tour operators and travel
agencies
• Accommodation, restaurants and
attractions, and entertainment
facilities
• Air, road, sea and river
transportation services
• Guides, interpreters, information
providers and outfitters
• Suppliers to the industry
• Tourism and trade organisations
• Business development
organisations
NGOS & OTHERS
• Environmental and conservation
groups
• Other interest groups (hunters,
fishermen and sports/adventure
associations)
• Communities and local
community groups
• Native and cultural groups
• Traditional leaders
• Tourists and organisations
representing tourists in their
origin country
• International tourism bodies
Source: Adapted from Miller, G & Twining Ward L. 2005, Montioring for a sustainable
tourism transition: The Challenge of developing and using indicators, Cabi Publishing

20. 2. Planning a tourism impacts monitoring
programme of sustainability
• Important that the monitoring
programme clearly
understands its need, purpose
and scope before starting work
• Key requirements include:
A. Agreement
on need
B. Good co-
ordination
C. Set vision,
goals and
objectives
D. Consensus
on what will
be monitored

21. A. Agreeing on the need for a tourism impacts
monitoring programme of sustainability
What?
Destination stakeholders need
to understand importance of
tourism impacts monitoring
Why? To create ownership, facilitate
support and gain participation
How? Stakeholder meeting with full
representation

22. B. Establishing effective co-ordination of the
tourism impacts monitoring programme
• Invite members with
knowledge and skills
required

• Agree on leadership position
or examine other options
• Ensure structure meets the
needs of the tasks, members
and stakeholder groups

• Ensure structure is inclusive,
accountable and transparent
but also effective

• Consider need for additional
structural components
according to collaboration size

• Determine functioning rules

23. C. Setting the objectives for a tourism impacts
monitoring programme
• Objectives define the vision
for sustainability and the
contribution of tourism in
achieving it
• Development process
allows stakeholders to
identify their expectations
from tourism and consider
how they might be met
• All goals should follow
SMART principles
GOALS What we
hope to achieve
OBJECTIVES
How we will
achieve it

24. Example of tourism sustainability
goals and objectives
GOAL OBJECTIVE
To contribute to poverty
alleviation in XX village
• Reduce the proportion of people living below the poverty line to less than 10% in
5 years
• Increase the number of people employed in tourism by 25% in 3 years
To encourage extensive
local participation in
community-based
tourism
• Ensure 100% households have access to running water in 2 years
• To increase the number and range of community members attending planning
meetings
To improve the situation
for women in XX village
• To increase the number of opportunities for involving stakeholders in CBT
• Increase the number of women involved in tourism planning to 50% or more of all
those residents involved
• Increase the number of women entrepreneurs working in tourism
• Increase the proportion of women in supervisory positions to 25% or more
Source: SNV Vietnam & the University of Hawaii, School of Travel Industry Management 2007, A Toolkit for
Monitoring and Managing Community-based Tourism, SNV Vietnam & the University of Hawaii, USA
Our goal How we will achieve it (SMART)

25. D. Identifying the scope of the tourism
sustainability monitoring programme
• Scope refers to the
“boundaries” of the
monitoring programme
• Can be geographical
(location) as well as subject
related (issues and / or
assets)
• Boundaries may be
predetermined or unset
If geographic
boundaries are not
set, then they
should consider:
• Wide geographic
sampling
• Priority zones
• Both high and
low visitation
areas

26. Example of scopes of study in a tourism
monitoring programme of sustainability
Geographical
scope
Socio-
cultural
issues
Economic
issues
Environ-
mental
issuesVILLAGE
Socio-
cultural
issues
Economic
issues
Environ-
mental
issues
TOWN
Socio-
cultural
issues
Economic
issues
Environ-
mental
issues
REGION
Subject
related
scope

27. Examples of key issues to consider when
scoping tourism sustainability
Gender equity & social
inclusion
• Family well-being, equal employment
opportunities, gender roles in
traditional communities, access to
loans and credit, control over
tourism-related income
Poverty reduction / economic
development
• Income, employment, entrepreneurs
hip, quality of life
Capacity development
• Tourism awareness, tourism business
training, local control of tourism
operations, participation in local
governance
Environmental protection
• Waste management, energy use and
carbon emissions, access to water,
biodiversity protection, protection
from natural disasters
Cultural preservation and
promotion
• Preservation of traditions and values,
maintenance of cultural significance
and meaning, maintenance of
cultural heritage sites
Social gains
• Quality of life, crime, access to
resources, access to heath
care, access to education, limitation
of rural to urban migration

28. TOPIC 3. DEVELOPING
MONITORING INDICATORS
UNIT 8. RESPONSIBLE TOURISM IMPACT MONITORING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Picture source: Pixabay, http://pixabay.com/

29. The role and importance of sustainability
indicators in monitoring tourism impacts
• An “indication” of the state of a
particular issue
• Formally selected and used on a
regular basis to measure changes
• Conventional tourism indicators
include arrival numbers, length of
stay, and expenditure
• Sustainable tourism indicators focus
on the link between tourism and
sustainability issues
FOCUS OF INDICATORS FOR
MONITORING SUSTAINABLE
TOURISM
• Issues concerning the
natural resources and
environment of a
destination
• Concerns relating to
economic sustainability
• Issues relating to
cultural assets and social
values
• Broad organisation and
management issues
within the tourism
sector and broader
destination

30. The focus of indicators at different levels
in the tourism sector
National level
• To detect broad changes in tourism at the national
level, compare with other nations, provide a baseline for
the identification of changes at more localized levels and
support broad level strategic planning
Regional level
• As input into regional plans and protection processes, to
serve as a basis for comparison between regions and to
provide information for national level planning processes
Destination level
• To identify key elements of assets, state of the tourism
sector, risks, and performance
Tourist site level
• For decisions on site control, management and future
development of tourist attractions where management level
indicators can support site planning and control
Tourism companies
& establishments
• To feed strategic planning process for destinations, To
monitor the impact and performance of their operation
Source: World Tourism Organization 2004, Indicators of Sustainable Development for
Tourism Destinations: A Guidebook, World Tourism Organisation, Madrid, Spain

31. Types of indicators
• Early warning indicators
• Indicators of stresses on the
system
• Measures of the current state
of industry
• Measures of tourism
development sustainability impacts
• Measures of management effort
• Measures of management effects
INDICATORS
MEASURE
Impacts
OutcomesOutputs

32. Impact type vs. Indicator type
Environmental impacts
Social impacts
Economic impacts
Quantitative
indicators
Qualitative
indicators
IMPACT
Category indices
Normative indicators
Nominal indicators
Opinion-based indicators
Raw data
Ratio
Percentage
TYPE OF INDICATOR TYPE OF MEASURE

33. Benefits of good performance indicators
Inform decision
making
Measure
progress, achieveme
nts, and trends
Ensure legitimacy
and accountability
Ensure consistency of
activities, outputs, outcomes
and impacts
Help assess project and staff
performance

34. Selecting effective tourism sustainability
indicators
Consider set of key
issues defined in
the scoping
exercise
Use participatory
approach to
evaluate and
prioritise issues
Ensure input from
all key stakeholders
Agreed list of key
issues for which
indicators can be
developed

35. Dissection of an sustainability issue into
indicators
ISSUE
COMPONENT
A
ISSUE
COMPONENT
C
ISSUE
COMPONENT
E
ISSUE
COMPONENT
G
ISSUE COMPONENT INDICATOR E1
ISSUE COMPONENT INDICATOR E2
ISSUE COMPONENT INDICATOR E3
….
SUSTAINABILITY
ISSUE

36. Example of tourism indicator development
process for sustainability
INDICATORS
COMPONENTS OF
ISSUE
KEY SUSTAINABILITY
ISSUE
Environmental
protection
Waste
management
Number hotels with a
recycling programme
Biodiversity
protection
Number of threatened
or extinct species as
percentage of all
known species
Perceived value of
forest resources to
tourism

37. Don’t reinvent the wheel!
Use and / or adapt existing indicators
Many organisations have
already developed and
refined useful indicators
for monitoring tourism
impacts on sustainability
World Tourism Organisation
Indicator Guidebook
Pressure, State, Response
Indicators
UNEP Environmental
Indicators
IUCN Indicators of
Resources Management

38. Example of environmental and economic
sustainability indicators in tourism
ENVIRONMENTAL Number of threatened or extinct species as percentage of all known species
Perceived value of forest resources to tourism
Number of days tourists spend on nature tourism activities out of total number of days
Number of hotels with environmental policy
Environmental awareness campaigns conducted
Number hotels recycling 25% or more of their waste products
Demand/supply ratio for water
Number of hotels with 50% or more of total toilets as dual flush
% of energy consumption from renewable resources
ECONOMIC Average wage rates in tourism jobs rural/ urban
Number of local people employed in tourism (men and women)
Revenues generated by tourism as % of all revenues generated in the community
% of visitors who overnight in local tourist accommodation
% of hotels with a majority local staff
% of GDP provided by tourism
Change in number of visitor arrivals
Average tourist length of stay
New tourism businesses as a percentage of all new businesses

39. Example of social and project / business
sustainability indicators in tourism
SOCIAL % of tourism operators who provide day care to employees with children
% of tourism operators who have commitments regarding equal gender opportunity
Women/men as a % of all tourism employment
% women/men employees sent on training programmes
Satisfaction with volume of tourists visiting the destination
PROJECT /
BUSINESS
PERFORMANCE
Sustainability Management Plan exists
All personnel receive periodic sustainability management training
% of purchases of services and goods from local providers
% of purchases that are fair trade purchases
Number of facilities built using local material
Code of conduct developed with local community
% of women and local minority employees

40. Good practice in setting
effective tourism indicators
Ensure indicators identify
conditions or outputs of
tourism development
Ensure indicators are
descriptive rather than
evaluative
Ensure indicators are
easy to measure
Ensure you start with
only a few key variables

41. Tips for shortlisting indicators
RELEVANCE
COMPARABILITYCREDIBILITY
CLARITY
FEASIBILITY
Of the indicator to
the selected issue
Of the
information
and reliability
for users of the
data And
understand-
ability to users
Of obtaining and
analysing the
information
Over time and
across
jurisdictions or
regions

42. Example of method to shortlist indicators
INDICATOR
RELEVANCE
CLARITY
CREDIBILITY
COMPARABILITY
FEASIBILITY
% of tourism operators who provide day care to employees with children     
% of tourism operators who have commitments regarding equal gender opportunity     
Women/men as a % of all tourism employment     
% women / men employees sent on training programmes     
Satisfaction with volume of tourists visiting the destination     

43. TOPIC 4. IMPLEMENTING, ADAPTING &
IMPROVING A MONITORING PROGRAMME
UNIT 8. RESPONSIBLE TOURISM IMPACT MONITORING FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Picture source:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AN_LAC_CAVES_ROWING_BOATS_NORTHERN_VIETNAM_FEB_2012_(6973865371).jpg

44. The 4 key steps in implementing a tourism
sustainability monitoring programme
1. Assess feasibility & data
collection methods
2. Collect & analyse data 3. Communicate results 4. Review & improve
• Data components
• Sources of data
• Responsibilities
• Collection methods
• Collection
• Analysis
• Styles of
communication
• Methods of
communication
• Review
• Improve
Image sources: Pixabay, http://pixabay.com/

45. 1. Assessing programme feasibility and data
collection methods
DATA
COMPONENTS
•Range of data sets
required
SOURCES OF
DATA
•Primary
•Secondary
RESPONSIBILITIES
•Data collection
•Data analysis
•Data manipulation
•Data validation
COLLECTION
METHODS
•Questionnaires /
interviews
•Visitor book
•Observation
•Focus group meetings

46. Dissect indicators to identify data components
required for collection
Identify the range of data sets required to make an
assessment of an indicator
Example:
% of hotels in a
destination who employ
a majority of local staff
Employment data for each hotel indicating %
local and % migrant workers
Data on the total number of hotels in the
destination
SOCIAL INDICATOR DATA SETS REQUIRED

47. Appropriate selection of data sources
• Where will the data for monitoring progress come from?
• Provides a chance to consider information availability and
accessibility
PRIMARY
DATA
• Interviews
• Surveys
• Observation
Cost of
collection
Availability
Accessibility
Timeliness
SECONDARY
DATA
• Reports
• Documents
?
?
??

48. Tips for assessing the value of
secondary source information
Who is the
organisation?
Are they
biased?
Are the rules
of sampling
followed?
Are there well
defined units of
measurement?
Is the data
accurate?
Is it
authorised?
Is it
pertinent to
the
problem?
Adapted from: Goeldner, C. & Brent Ritchie, J.
2009, Tourism: Principles, Practices, Philosophies,
John Wiley & Sons, USA

49. Assigning responsibilities
Who will…
…collect the
data
…create the
data tables
…analyse the
data
…conduct
additional data
manipulation
…validate /
verify the
data
LOCAL
SCHOOLS &
UNIVERSITIES
TOURISM
OPERATORS
LOCAL
COMMUNITY
VISITORS
FIELD STAFF
?
?
?
?
?

50. 2. Selecting appropriate data collection
methods in tourism
Focus-group
meetings
Overall conditions
& impacts of tourism
Requires careful
selection &
moderation
Visitor books
Visitors’
experiences
May not be
statistically valid
Questionnaires &
interviews
Insight into opinions
and actions
Careful sample
selection required
Requires research
expertiseObservation
Overview of a
situation
Gauge success or
failure of actions
Evidential
Picture sources:
Pixabay, http://pixabay.com/

51. Tips in writing effective surveys
51
• Not everyone is familiar with technical termsAvoid jargon
• The survey should be easy to read and understand by
the majority of peopleUse simple language
• Ensure questions cannot be interpreted in more than
one wayAvoid ambiguity
• Don’t try to influence answers by the way you make the
questionAvoid leading questions
• Combining 2 questions together can result in only 1
being effectively answered
Ask one question at a
time

52. Poorly written survey questions
TIP BAD PRACTICE GOOD PRACTICE
Avoid jargon Are you visiting for VFR
purposes?
…?
Use simple
language
What is the frequency of
utilisation of retail travel agents?
…?
Avoid
ambiguity
Do you visit attractions often? …?
Avoid
leading
questions
Are you against the extension of
the airport?
…?
Ask one
question at a
time
Have you visited the tourist
information centre, and if so
what do you think of the
service?
…?

53. Survey questions following good
practice
TIP BAD PRACTICE GOOD PRACTICE
Avoid jargon Are you visiting for VFR
purposes?
Are you here to visit friends and / or relatives?
Use simple
language
What is the frequency of
utilisation of retail travel agents?
How often do you use travel agents?
Avoid
ambiguity
Do you visit attractions often? Which of the following attractions have you
visited in the last 6 months?
Avoid
leading
questions
Are you against the extension of
the airport?
What is your opinion on the extension of the
airport? Are you for it, against it, or not
concerned?
Ask one
question at a
time
Have you visited the tourist
information centre, and if so
what do you think of the
service?
Have you visited the tourist information
centre? Yes / No (if yes, proceed to Q2)
How satisfied were you with the service you
received there? (provide rating scale)

54. The STCRC’s tips for reducing
data collection costs
• Use existing
collection
instruments
• Prepare well your
data collection
• Limit and pre test
questions
Adapted from: Carson, D., Richards, F. & Tremblay, P. (undated), Local level data collection:
‘Know your patch’ kit, Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre, Australia
• Get stakeholder
support beforehand
• Use innovative
ways in data
collection
• Start small


55. Principles in good data analysis
•The first
“foundation” study
from which future
studies follow
BASELINES
•Comparison of data
against baseline
•Can also use
industry averages
BENCHMARKS
•Helps establish if
results are positive
or negative in local
situation
LIMITS OF ACCEPTABLE
CHANGE
(THRESHOLDS)
Effective monitoring systems often incorporate at a
number of different tools to assist in the analysis of
results:

56. Examples of baselines, benchmarks and
thresholds
Establishing a baseline
•A survey was conducted in 2014 which
established that 15% of households in a
village had running water
•This forms the baseline for household
access to running water in the destination
Using a benchmark
•In 2015 a repeat survey was conducted
which recorded that 25% of households
had running water
•This shows a positive change of 10%
against the Year 1 baseline
Comparing to thresholds
•In terms of access to running
water, anything less than 100% requires
action
•If however, the study was of the amount
of protected forest in a community, 40%
might be an acceptable target depending
on the year 1 benchmark

57. Example: Acceptable thresholds of change for a
national sustainable tourism programme in Samoa
INDICATOR RESULT THRESHOLD PERFORMANCE
ENVIRONMENTAL
% of new hotels undertaking environmental impact assessments 33% 90-100% V.POOR
% of hotels using secondary or tertiary sewage treatment 8% 30-50% V.POOR
% of tourists participating in nature tourism 8% 20-40% V.POOR
% of tourist sites passing water quality tests 50% 70-90% POOR
% of hotels composting their biodegradable waste 76% 60-80% ACCEPTABLE
Water usage per guest night in hotels (in litres) 928 500-1000 ACCEPTABLE
ECONOMIC
Contribution of direct tourism businesses to GDP 4% 10-20% POOR
Proportion of new businesses focused on tourism 4% 10-20% POOR
Proportion of hotel jobs in rural areas 48% 40-60% ACCEPTABLE
SOCIAL
Hotel staff participating in training courses 27% 25-50% ACCEPTABLE
Villages included in tourism awareness programmes 28% 25-50% ACCEPTABLE
Proportion of traditional events in Tourism Festivals 50% 50-70% ACCEPTABLE
Proportion of handicraft stalls out of all stalls in markets 21% 20-40% ACCEPTABLE
Tourism operators informing visitors of village protocol 72% 50-70% GOOD
Source: SNV Vietnam & the University of Hawaii, School of Travel Industry Management 2007, A Toolkit for
Monitoring and Managing Community-based Tourism, SNV Vietnam & the University of Hawaii, USA

58. 3. Communicating tourism impacts monitoring
programme results
• There is no point in doing a
monitoring programme if no
one finds out about the results
• Stakeholders and decision
makers need to hear about the
results so they can take action
• Results should presented to help
stakeholders reinforce positive
actions or remedy problem
situations
Consider the
needs of the
potential user
Portray the
results as simply
as possible
PRINCIPLES IN
COMMUNICATING RESULTS

59. Options for getting the message out
Meetings and workshops
Provide an analysis of the
monitoring programme results
in a practical and “hands-on”
workshop or meeting. It also
in-depth analysis and detailed
clarification of issues.
Newsletters & reports
Provide details of the results
within the organisation
newsletter or alternatively
create a newsletter specifically
for communicating the results.
Include results in the
organisation’s annual report.
Website
Create a section on the
organisation’s website that
provides details of the progress
being made in sustainability
performance.
Email
Deliver information about the
sustainability monitoring program
directly into the mailbox of the
stakeholders. Coming from senior
management can add a level of
authority. Quick and direct.
Picture sources:
Pixabay, http://pixabay.com/

60. 4. Adapting and improving the tourism impacts
monitoring programme
• Situations change so regular reviews
should take place to ensure the
monitoring programme remains
effective and meaningful
• Review of successes and failures
should be conducted by the steering
committee after each campaign
• Consult stakeholders to obtain
opinions on data usefulness and
strategies for improvement

61. UNWTO checklist of issues in the
re-evaluation indicator effectiveness 1/2
 Are the indicators being used (by whom and
how?)
 Which indicators are not being used?
 Do the users find the current set useful?
 Do users now have other needs?
 Are there new potential users?
 Are the indicators in the right form, or are
other output forms now needed?
 Are there new means to collect or analyse
data for the indicators which might make
production easier or more efficient?
Assessment of indicator effectiveness

62. UNWTO checklist of issues in the
re-evaluation indicator effectiveness 2/2
62
 Are there new issues which have arisen and
which require indicators?
 Is information now available which could
permit indicators which were too difficult to
produce, but which were seen as
important, to be added?
 Is there evidence of outcomes which have
been influenced by indicators use?
 What are the barriers, if any, which have
prevented optimal use of the indicators?
Assessment of indicator effectiveness