The Destination Specificity of Sustainable Tourism Indicators:

A Critical Analysis
Scott Robert

Abstract

On a small island there are limited resources and the interconnectivity between
economic, environmental, social and cultural activities is much more pronounced. As
a consequence, tourism in small islands cannot be effectively planned and managed
without being fully integrated into other island activities, and sustainability is 'thus
more of a practical and pragmatic necessity than an optional extra.

While substantial progress has been made in terms of environmental management on

small islands, methods for developing sustainable small-island tourism have been less
well researched. Central to sustainable development is the use and sustainability of
natural, social and cultural resources. As this should also be a key concern for
tourism, especially in the context of small islands, the two fields of study have a
natural confluence, in sustainable tourism indicators.

As a result of the work of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable

Development (UNCSD), indicators are now generally accepted as essential tools for
monitoring sustainable development. Tourism scholars in increasing numbers are
advocating the need for indicators to monitor the sustainability of tourism. The
World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) at al. (1997), for example, claim the
establishment of realistic sustainable tourism indicators is a top priority for national
tourism organizations. The relative absence of reliable indicators in tourism is a
serious problem and the need for the development of sustainable tourism indicators in
the context of f small island states has been clearly articulated by the Secretary
General World Tourism Organization (Frangialli 1999:20).

The key issues and influences affecting the sustainable development of destination
areas can vary dramatically, depending on the environment, culture, and stage of
tourism development

Various methodologies used to derive indicator sets are critiqued as well as

frameworks such as the UNCSD's Pressure-State-Response (PSR). Approaches to the
task are contemplated for their effectiveness in measuring progress covering bottom-
up, partnerships and top-down arrangements. The case of Calvia municipality in
Mallorca is examined for its strengths and weaknesses, and Malta's position is
assessed. Both microcosms are queried for their interpretation of what is felt to make
a 'winning' indicator. According to the UNCSD, indicators should be understandable,
realisable conceptually well-founded, limited in number broad in their coverage and
dependent on data that is readily available. The World Tourism Organisation (WTO)
(1995) recommends similar criteria for the selection of sustainable tourism indicators
identifying; data availability; credibility, simplicity, the ability to show trends over
time and having known threshold value as core indicator values.
The thesis posits that sustainable tourism indicators be destination specific. An
holistic approach will be adopted which will explore the notion that the task of
constructing an inventory of indicators need necessarily be carried out in situ. While
not a statistical exercise, the thesis will ultimately aim to identify a better base on
which to measure sustainable tourism development.