Rethinking tourism performance in a sustainable way

The economic importance of tourism no longer needs to be demonstrated, but in the midst of a health and probably societal crisis, the question of the impact of tourist activity on the natural and built environment, on local populations and visitors arises. Fortunately, destinations are increasingly tending to review their strategy in order to be part of an approach that is profitable for all and in the long term. This new trend means redefining the measurement of destination performance.

Why review the way we measure our performance?

The level of performance of a territory is closely linked to its level of attractiveness and it is natural that the performance of destinations is traditionally measured by indicators of traffic, origin or economic benefits. But today, climate change, the fate of the planet and the pandemic are fertile ground for the emergence of new expectations on the part of travelers. Indeed, sustainable practices and commitments are taken more into account in the choice of destinations and tourist operators. Tourism actors must take into account the more sustainable expectations of visitors and it is therefore necessary to define long-term objectives and to detach themselves from the concept of traditional performance.

Tourism activity is fundamentally linked to territory, natural resources and communities and it is no longer possible today to think about tourism without associating it with the concept of sustainability. In the perspective of sustainable development, remember that three pillars must be taken into consideration: economic, social and environmental. Therefore, social and environmental goals should be an integral part of organizational strategies.

New approach to performance, new indicators for destinations

If we decide to see tourism performance in 3 dimensions, this also involves setting up indicators to measure these precise dimensions.

In France, Tourism Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, by noting the appearance of new forms of tourist consumption, has taken the tangent of benevolent tourism and has defined concrete indicators.

Indicators of social and environmental dimensions defined by Tourisme Auvergne Rhône-Alpes

In the same way, the new 2027 strategy by Turismo de Portugal is focused on sustainable development. The destination has developed several indicators based on recommendations from several organizations (OMT, Eurostat).

Various performance indicators were selected based on those defined by the European Commission in 2013 in the Tourism Indicator System (European Tourism Indicators System). The EITS presents 43 core indicators (revised in 2016) that cover the essential aspects of sustainability monitoring and will allow destinations to compare each other. Indicators can then be added by destinations according to their reality, for example concerning coastal or maritime aspects, accessibility, etc.

Below, here are the sustainability indicators selected by Turismo de Portugal.

Setting performance indicators for businesses

Some destinations are taking precedence over this new direction and are beginning to adapt their strategy in order to direct their actions towards “quality” tourism. These strategies understand that destinations cannot act alone and the involvement of tourism operators is essential to achieve this new performance.

As part of its strategy Swisstainable, Switzerland Tourism offers a sustainable tourism program with three levels of commitments for companies that want to obtain certification. A sustainability check must be carried out by companies in order to qualify for each level. The DMO provides a tool From sustainability monitoring to companies, there are indicators for each of the pillars of sustainable development.

For each element described, the company assigns a score from 1 to 5 and thus obtains a portrait of its company from a sustainability point of view.

In order to be in line with its mission and vision, the NPO Contact Nature, located in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, has adopted indicators to measure the achievement of each of its objectives. While some indicators are better known, such as reducing the number of waste, there are more specific measures such as increasing the number of volunteers or implementing actions to facilitate collaboration.

Here are some examples of goals set based on the indicators used by Contact Nature in its 2020-2022 sustainable development action plan:

• Increase employee understanding of sustainable development by 25%
• Implement 6 new sustainable development practices per year
• Increase social impact by 15%
• Increase the healthy lifestyles and physical activities of employees by 15%
• Implement 6 actions to promote heritage
• Implement 5 actions to facilitate collaboration between organizations
• Increase the number of eco-responsible events organized.
  

Measuring the achievement of social and environmental goals is not always complex and can be applicable to the reality of all types of organizations.

How can new indicators be determined?

In order to select indicators, it is essential to define what constitutes performance beyond profitability or the number of tourists that a destination or business welcomes. The concept of performance should be aligned with the purpose of your organization, that is, with its role in society beyond its economic activity.

Ask yourself the following questions: am I efficient because I am making the destination attractive to visitors only? What are the goals that I would like to achieve in order to consider my organization sustainable in the long term and efficient? Financial performance? Most of the time this is not enough, we think of other elements such as the well-being of communities and workers, waste management, local development, mobility, etc.

From there, it is essential to establish clear goals that meet your strategy (remember that goals must be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound). Then, comes the definition of indicators that will allow you to monitor the achievement of these objectives in a quantified manner. We learn in the review Teoros that to be relevant, the indicators must be:

• Helpful
• Dependable
• Targeted (over time)
• Comparable
  

More than a simple control measure, indicators are the dashboard that will allow you to manage your organization well, do not neglect them.

To conclude

Tourism performance must be redesigned taking into consideration the added value that tourism activity can bring to the community and the environment. Performance as currently measured (mainly from an economic point of view) is reductive and does not reflect the real potential of what the tourism industry offers.

Do you want to know more about the subject? Contact us, we will be very happy to discuss it with you!