Application of the European tourism indicator system (ETIS) for sustainable destination management. Lessons from County Clare, Ireland

Abstract

Purpose Despite indicators being regarded as ideal tools to help achieve sustainability in tourism, their application within Ireland remains under researched. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to advance the knowledge base in the hospitality and tourism field by presenting baseline research from the first application of all 43 of the indicators that make up the European tourism indicator system (ETIS) in county Clare, Ireland. Design/methodology/approach This study used the pre-existing visitor, enterprise and resident surveys that accompany the ETIS indicator system in a number of honey pot destinations within county Clare. This approach was complemented further through desk research to gather the necessary data on all 43 core indicators of the ETIS. Findings While the application of the ETIS in county Clare constitutes a significant advancement towards evidence informed planning for tourism. There does exist a number of information gaps relating to specific core indicators of the ETIS. Which, if not monitored and benchmarked over time, could have serious ramifications for the future sustainability of tourism in Ireland. Originality/value This paper not only discuss the findings from the application of all 43 core indicators of the ETIS in one specific destination but also develops new knowledge on the use of tourism indicators and the move towards evidence informed planning for tourism. Furthermore, this study contributes significantly to the theoretical development of our field, as the ETIS has not been applied in its entirety throughout Europe.

Assessment sustainable tourism: a literature review composite indicator

“…Specifically, the indicator based on the environmental dimension of the assessment of sustainable tourism shown in Table 2. [3,17]; Use of resources [3,17] Tourism destination Protection of the natural ecosystems [3,17]; Energy management [3,17] Water management [3,17]; Climate change [12]; Sewage treatment [12] Physical integrity [25]; Tourism diversity [13]; Protective value of the wetland [13]; Land-use change [13] Government Public administrations' expenditure on environmental protection [3,17] Solid waste management [12]; Water management [12]; Energy usage [12]; Wastewater management [3,17]; Management of solid urban waste [3,17]; Management of the visual impact of facilities and infrastructure [3,17]; Intensity of tourist use [3,17] Management Agency…”

“…Tourist Tourism-related transport [3,17] Local community Tourism flow [12]; Economic viability [25]; Local prosperity [25] Dependency of income of households around area on tourism [13] Tourism destination Sustaining tourist satisfaction [3,17]; Destination competitiveness [3,17] Quantity and quality of employment [12]; Employment quality [25] Government Development control [3,17]; Gender equality [13]; Hard tourism infrastructure [13]; Branding [13]; Investment volume [13]; The diversity of income sources [13]; Willingness to pay [13] Management Agency Tourist offers-providing a variety of experiences to visitors [3,17] Seasonality of tourism activity [3,17]; Tourism employment [3,17] Tourism enterprise(s) performance [12]; Business enterprises related to tourism [13] Supporting facilities Economic benefits of tourism for the business community [3,17] Indicators of social, cover visitor fulfilment, safety and health, culture richness and exchange, visitor compliance, local interaction, population, psychological, effect on level of well-being in local population, soft infrastructure related to tourism, conservation of cultural heritage, protecting culture and accessibility to inclusion. Social indicator basically used to better understanding and positive social, reaction to facilities or opportunities, improve image and understanding of different culture or communication.…”

“…Specifically, the indicator based on the social dimension of the assessment of sustainable tourism shown in Table 4. [3,17]; Social equity [25] Soft infrastructure related to tourism [13] Government Safety of the destination [3,17]; Effects on national population structure [3,17]; Social carrying capacity of the destination [3,17] Effects on level of well-being in the local population [3,17]; Cultural richness [25]; Population [13]; Tourism supply chain [12] Management Agency Sociocultural effects of tourism on host community [3,17] Gender equality [12]; Inclusion/accessibility [12] Supporting facilities Local community participation in the development of tourism [13] Cultural exchange [13] Then, each indicator is grouped based on stakeholders (tourist, resident, tourism, government, tourism management institution, non-government organization) of tourism which most related to the indicators. The stakeholders in the tourism sector commit to ensuring that the quality of life of future generations and the development of long-term welfare of tourism are guaranteed and not in trouble.…”

“…It is important to balance the needs for economic growth and the exploitation of regional natural resources [8,9], maintain quality of life and development [9,10,11]. More specifically in, a social aspect which: defined through assessing the level of satisfaction, social well-being, and stakeholder relations; an economic aspect which: linked to the economic benefits to all stakeholder, employment, income-earning and profitability [4]; environmental aspect: which represented by the intensity of natural resource use, recycling/reuse, pollution, and land used [3,12,13]. Management of all resources in such a way that economic and social needs can be fulfilled while maintaining the environment (ecological and biodiversity) which is referred to as sustainable tourism [2,14,15].…”

The Imperative to Address Sustainability Skills Gaps in Tourism in Wales

“…As noted by both Denscombe [63] and McLoughlin, Hanrahan and Duddy [64], quantitative research instruments are a popular method for investigating attitudes and actions in tourism research. Therefore, an online survey comprising 32 questions was approved by the Ethics Committee of Cardiff Metropolitan University in January 2019.…”