Transcript Second Meeting of the Reflection Year on World Heritage Periodic Reporting UNESCO Headquarters 2-3 March 2006 Statistical and sustainability indicators concerning tourism Mr.

Second Meeting of the Reflection Year on
World Heritage Periodic Reporting
UNESCO Headquarters
2-3 March 2006
Statistical and sustainability
indicators concerning tourism
Mr. Gabor Vereczi
Sustainable Development of Tourism
World Tourism Organization
World Tourism Organization
• UN Specialized Agency
• Headquarters in Madrid, Spain
• Intergovernmental organization with 150
Member States and Territories
• 350 Affiliate Members: private sector (tourism
trade associations, major airlines, hotels, tour
operators), local authorities, education and
research institutions, NGOs
World Tourism Organization
Regional Representation
Sections:
•Africa
•Europe
•Americas
•Middle East
•Asia-Pacific
Affiliate Members:
Business Council
Education Council
Destination Management
Programme
Program Activity Sections:
•Tourism Statistics
•Market Intelligence and
Promotion
•Human Resources
Development
•Sustainable Development
of Tourism
•Quality of Tourism
Development
•Press and Communication,
Documentation, Publications
The unstoppable growth of tourism
International tourist arrivals
Actual
1.600
Forecasts
1.6 bn
1.400
million
1.200
1.000
800
600
bn
South Asia
Middle East
Africa
East Asia/Pacific
Americas
Europe
808 mn
620 bn USD
receipts
1bn
bn
400
200
0
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
Tourism: a threat or opportunity
for heritage sites?
Depends on tourism planning and management
Uncontrolled tourism can be a mayor threat
•
•
•
•
•
physical impacts on structures,
encroachment due to infrastructure development,
air pollution by traffic,
access problems for locals,
over-commercialization of historical/religious values
…But there are many other sources of threats
• Deterioration due to large- scale public or private
projects or rapid urban development;
• Destruction caused by changes in the use or ownership
of the land;
• The outbreak or the threat of an armed conflict;
• Abandonment for any reason
whatsoever;
• Natural disasters (fires,
earthquakes, landslides; volcanic
eruptions, floods, etc.)
(main UNESCO indicators for
“World Heritage in Danger”)
Tourism: an opportunity to support the
sustainable use of heritage sites
• Revenue generation for site conservation
and maintenance (reduce dependency
on public funding)
• Education of a wider public: fostering
cross-cultural understanding
• Enhancing cultural values and pride in
host communities (influencing policies)
• Driver of regional economic development
(tourism product clusters, PPP, SMEs,
multiplier effects, poverty reduction)
Instruments for making tourism
more sustainable
• Command and control
instruments
• Economic instruments
• Voluntary instruments
• Supporting instruments
• Monitoring instruments
INDICATORS
UNWTO’s Indicators Initiative
•
•
•
•
1993-6 Initial task force on indicators
1994-5 Case studies in pilot destinations
1997 Publication of initial Guide
1998-2003 Regional workshops
•
•
•
•
•
•
Lake Balaton - Hungary (Central Europe)
Cozumel - Mexico (Spanish-speaking Caribbean)
Villa Gesell - Argentina (South America)
Beruwala - Sri Lanka (South Asia)
Kukljica - Croatia (Mediterranean)
As well, specific studies were done in Cyprus, and
Cape Breton Canada.
New WTO Guide on Indicators
• Extensive review of international experiences
• Involvement of 62 experts from 20 countries
• Focus on local destinations, also covering applications
at regional, national and business levels
• A recommended procedure
for indicators development
• A categorized list of common
issues and indicators
• Destination-specific applications
• The role of indicators in
tourism policy and planning
• Ample range of case studies
Sustainability indicators
basic tools for tourism planning, management and monitoring
• To identify and measure the entire range of impacts
(environmental, social and economic) that tourism can
have in a particular area or society.
• Accurate information
is needed for responsible
decision-making
Sustainability indicators are information sets which are
formally selected for a regular use to measure changes in key
assets and issues of tourism destinations and sites.
Indicators for all stages of the planning process
1. Definition/delineation of the
destination/development area
Set up data boundaries
2. Participatory processes
3. Vision, mission statement
Quality indicators:
express broad aims
4. Initial assessment:
assets, risks, impacts
Clarify issues,
assessment report
5. Objectives
Quantify objectives, set
timeframe
6. Strategies and action plans
8. Implementation
9. Monitoring
Modifying strategies and applying
corrective actions when needed
(based on evaluation results)
Evaluation:
performance, efficiency,
effects
Reporting and
accountability
Benefits from good indicators
• Better decision-making, lower risks and costs, identify limits and
opportunities
• Identification of emerging risks - prevention
• Identification of impacts - corrective action
• Performance measurement of the implementation of development
plans and management actions
• Greater public accountability, better communication
• Constant monitoring – adaptive management and continuous
improvement
Expression of indicators
Quantitative measurements:
•Raw data (number of tourists visiting a site/year/month, volume of waste generated)
•Ratios (ratio of the n. of tourists to local residents)
•Percentage (% of trained staff, % change in visitor numbers, expenditures)
Qualitative/normative measurements:
•Category indices (level of protection)
•Normative indicators (existence of tourism management plan, yes/no)
•Nominal indicators (e.g. eco-labels, certifications)
•Opinion-based indicators (level of satisfaction of tourists, or of local residents)
Monitoring takes time and resources:
Selection of indicators
Feasibility criteria:
• Relevance to the issue
• Data availability (capacity to collect and process)
• Credibility of the information
• Clarity and understandability to users
• Comparability over time and across jurisdictions or
regions
Good indicators: easy to measure and understand
50
40
Air
30
%
Road
Rail
Sea
20
10
0
1990
1991
1992
1994
Managers are
surrounded by
indicators
25,4%
18,1%
45,9%
1,2% 4,4%
25
20
15
% over same period previous year
5,0%
1993
10
5
0
-5
-10
-15
-20
-25
-30
-35
-40
-45
-50
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
1995
1996
1997
1998
Key issues to monitor
on tourism at heritage sites
• Level of protection (legislations, designations)
• Use levels and intensity
• Visitor management and infrastructure (congestion
management)
• Damages, deterioration (caused by tourism)
• Tourism’s support for site conservation (revenue generation)
• Visitor’s profile, satisfaction and perception
• Benefits to local communities (satisfaction of locals)
How many tourists
are too many?
Defining carrying capacity
and optimal use levels
A key quality concept with
different dimensions:
-Environmental
-Cultural
-Social
-Psychological
-Infrastructural
-Management
Different types of users, forms, needs
Dynamic, depends on management
Visitor management models
Perception by tourists and host communities
Computer-generated photos illustrating a range of use levels
Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) method
Integrated
approach to
congestion
management:
Actions at
3 levels, along
the tourism
supply chain
Indicators for sustainable tourism
at cultural heritage sites
Controlling use intensity
• Existence of appropriate visitor registry system
• Total number of visitors to the site and its key areas
(per peak day, season, month, year) - seasonality
• % of area opened for visitors, current building used
(open, closed, abandoned)
• Number of tourists per square meter at the site and its
key zones in peak days
• N. of tour operators with licence and permits to operate
at the site
Visitor management and infrastructure
• Tourism issues are incorporated in site-management plan (yes/no),
existence of tourism management plan, existence of zoning for tourism
use
• Existence of congestion management practices (at the site, destination,
demand levels)
• Number of staff handling visitors (ratio of staff to tourists), level of
training (guards, guides, information, catering, management, etc.)
• Existence of basic visitor facilities (access, toilets, catering, parking),
per number of visitors
• Existence of visitor/information centre, interpretative materials (e.g.
brochures, panels), guided tours, trails, signage (length of trails,
number and language of signs)
• Perception of tourists on crowding, quality of services
Damages, deterioration
(caused by tourism)
• % of site open to visitors in degraded condition
• Number of incidents of damage caused by tourists,
violation of rules
• Species population: sighting, counting
• Air and noise pollution caused by tourist
transportation
• Cleanliness of sites: amount of waste collected,
availability of waste collection facilities, littering,
perception of visitors on cleanliness
Tourism’s support for site conservation
• Revenue generated from tourism (per sources:
entrance and parking fees, commissions and licence
fees, services, sale of products, image rights,
donations, etc.)
• % of tourism revenue retained at site, used for site
maintenance and conservation
• % of site restored
Visitor’s profile, satisfaction/perception
• Origin (domestic, international), age, gender of
visitors, mode of travelling (individual, group)
• Satisfaction/perception: services, facilities,
experience, crowding
• Info gathered at entrance (registry) and through
exit surveys
• Complaints received
• Number, % of return visitors
Benefits to local communities
• Number of employees from local community (unskilled and
skilled labour)
• Number of local SMEs related to tourism at the sites (TOs,
accommodation, catering, transport), number of locals
employed in them
• Infrastructure development at the site, benefiting also local
communities
• Satisfaction of locals
(survey on opinions, attitudes)
• Existence of coordination
mechanisms
(with local authorities,
private sector associations)
• Negative impacts on culture
Statistical indicators for
site management and conservation
• A set of baseline issues and indicators
• Supplementary indicators (suited for different
types of sites and issues)
• Site-specific indicators (defined for particular
issues at each site)
C
O
M
P
A
R
A
BI
LI
T
Y
Suggestions to develop an indicators
programme for heritage sites
Strenghten site manager’s capacities in monitoring and reporting
for more regular use (daily operations, annual evaluations)
• Define an indicators framework (baseline and supplementary indicators)
• Develop pilot projects at selected heritage sites, (UNWTO indicators
workshop methodology):
– detailed case studies (demonstrating good practices)
– participatory approach, demonstration of planning and management processes in
a real situation, with the participation of national and local stakeholders – creating
dialogue and triggering tourism planning
– test the indicators
– train site managers on monitoring, evaluation, and congestion management
practices
• Consolidate the framework, produce guidelines and manuals
• Upscale the indicators application (replication), exchange of experiences,
periodic revision
• Create an Award on excellence in site management (recognize good
practices)
Thank you
www.world-tourism.org/sustainable