Measurable sustainability: The global path to uniform indicators in tourism

Sustainability in tourism is not just a buzzword, but a necessity. But how can sustainable tourism be measured and managed? This blog post provides an overview of key international frameworks and initiatives, while also showcasing the work of the Tourism Impact Alliance, which is developing a globally applicable KPI catalog for destinations. It also highlights the challenges of limited measurability and insufficient data availability that have hindered many systems so far. 

Why are sustainability indicators in tourism important?
Tourism faces fundamental challenges: overtourism, environmental impacts, and social inequalities demonstrate the limitations of a purely growth-oriented approach. The COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that the sector must become more resilient and sustainable. But how can sustainability be measured and managed? 

This is where Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) come into play. As measurable metrics for sustainable actions, they provide data-driven decision-making frameworks and allow clear targets for sustainable development to be set and continuously tracked. They serve as an “early warning system,” identifying challenges early and enabling targeted adjustments. While traditional metrics such as overnight stays, arrivals, or revenue have long been considered key success factors, they are no longer sufficient in an increasingly complex world. Purely growth-oriented indicators fail to capture the impact of tourism on the environment and local communities or help tackle challenges such as resource depletion or overcrowding. 

The development of a comprehensive, practical indicator system for tourism remains a challenging task, as shown by international efforts to date. 

Relevant Frameworks and Initiatives
The discussion around indicators for measuring sustainability in tourism goes back to the 1990s. The Agenda 21 (1996) emphasized the importance of practical indicators at local and national levels. In 2005, the UNWTO (now UN Tourism) published its guidelines with over 700 indicators covering 50 sustainability topics. The European Commission also addressed the urgency of reliable analyses in 2003 with its “Basic Guidelines for Sustainable European Tourism,” calling for user-friendly reporting systems. At the same time, academia extensively focused on the development of sustainability indicators. Numerous concepts and approaches were proposed, but the lack of consensus on the selection and application of indicators has hindered comparability and benchmarking. 

However, urgency is growing: international initiatives such as the EU Green Claims Directive or the Glasgow Declaration call for reliable data to make sustainability transparent and prevent greenwashing. The international discussion has gained significant momentum in recent years, and many organizations and initiatives are working to address the measurement of sustainability in tourism. Below, we present some of the key frameworks and initiatives: 

UN Tourism: Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (SF-MST)
The UN World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) has made a significant contribution to the international discussion on sustainability indicators in tourism with the Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism” (MST) framework. Since 2017, it has been developing a concept that comprehensively captures the economic, ecological, and social impacts of tourism. Based on established systems like the Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) and the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA-CF), MST aims to assist national statistical offices. 

Although MST recognizes the relevance of subnational tourism levels, differences in data availability and measurement methods complicate the transferability of national approaches. Additionally, there are no clear guidelines for methodological approaches or specific indicators. As a result, MST is often seen as an important catalyst for the further development of sustainability measurement systems. 

GSTC Criteria for the Tourism Industry and Destinations
The GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council) criteria are an internationally recognized standard for sustainability in tourism, focusing on four areas: sustainable management, socio-economic impacts, cultural heritage, and the environment. Developed through a global consultation process with tourism industry experts, NGOs, certification organizations, government representatives, and other stakeholders, they provide guidance for both the private sector and destinations. 

The focus of the GSTC criteria, however, has been more on certification and verification processes than on measuring actual impacts. Although they propose indicators for evaluating criterion compliance, they lack clear guidance on data collection methods or measurement approaches. Instead, certified entities are expected to develop their own indicator sets, which complicates practical application. Therefore, the recommendations mainly focus on audit and certification aspects, not on meaningful impact analysis in tourism businesses or destinations. 

EU Initiatives: Green Claims Directive and Tourism Transition Pathway
The European Commission has launched the Green Claims Directive to prevent greenwashing and require companies to externally verify environmental claims like “climate-neutral” or “eco-friendly.” These requirements apply to businesses in the EU as well as those with supply chains within the EU. Furthermore, quantitative indicators must be standardized to enable comparability and benchmarking. Frameworks like the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and Organization Environmental Footprint (OEF) are proposed to assist in this. 

The Green Claims Directive complements the EU Tourism Transition Pathway, which also focuses on reliable data and transparent sustainability measurement. Both initiatives aim to drive the transformation towards sustainable, data-driven tourism by creating comparable indicators and robust standards for businesses and destinations.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
A pilot project by the OECD and the Spanish regions of Andalusia, Catalonia, Navarre, and Valencia, funded by the European Commission, shows how regional indicator systems can be developed. The goal was to create a system that makes the sustainability of tourism measurable at the regional level. 

The project provides valuable insights, such as the comparability between regions and the focus on local challenges like climate protection and resource management. However, it also shows limitations: implementation requires significant resources, and data availability remains a challenge. 

International Systems: Conclusion
This list of international systems is, of course, not exhaustive. Currently, many discussions are taking place on various levels about which KPIs are most suitable for assessing tourism. 

Measuring sustainability in tourism is a dynamic and indispensable field. Internationally discussed systems already provide valuable foundations, but there is still a significant need for harmonized approaches, robust data, and innovative methodologies. For destinations, the challenge remains to adapt these systems locally while considering globally relevant standards. 

The Tourism Impact Alliance KPI Set goes into testing
As mentioned in the previous blog post, through the “Tourism Impact Alliance” project, we are developing a KPI set for destinations that aims to be globally applicable, comparable, and practical. 

In close collaboration with the project “KPI Set for German Tourism,” funded by LIFT Transformation from the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWK), we are working on creating a manageable system that provides a solid foundation for decision-making in destinations. 

The first building blocks for the set were laid in the “Impact Panel” think tank, consisting of international certification organizations, standard owners, destinations, and national systems, during a six-month exchange process in 2022. The results of this process are still available here. After a subsequent broad consultation with various stakeholders, the catalog is now entering its pilot phase. We are testing its applicability in destinations with different structures around the world. We are addressing the challenges that have hindered many systems so far, such as insufficient data, complex measurement methods, and practical implementation. 

We warmly invite other interested experts, certification organizations, and destinations to review our draft and participate in the testing phase. Together, we aim to create a practical tool that supports destinations worldwide in achieving and measuring their sustainability goals. 

Contact us through this form to become part of this process!