Page 270 - Special Topic Session (STS) - Volume 1

STS429 Valentina Stoevska
4.1 Measuring the sustainability of tourism
According to the UNWTO, Sustainable tourism is defined as “tourism that
takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental
impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and
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host communities” (UNWTO/UNEP, 2005).
An important element in this definition is the fact that tourism has to
address not only environmental issues but also to ensure inclusive economic
growth and social development. In other words sustainable tourism should
ensure positive contribution to environmental integrity while contributing at
the same time to poverty reduction, social justice, decent work, gender
equality, economic development, etc.
While comprehensive this definition does support identification of
economic units within the tourism industries that might be considered
sustainable, as opposed to traditional tourism. The second issues is related to
the identification of economic units in tourism industries because they cannot
be identified from the production side as other industries.
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The Statistical Framework for Measuring Sustainable Tourism (SF-MST)
was developed to provide an organizing structure for integrating statistics on
the economic, environmental and social dimensions of sustainable tourism.
For each dimension it identifies a number of aspects and areas of focus
relevant to sustainable tourism.

4.2 Employment data for assessing the three dimensions of sustainability
of tourism
As tourism-related employment appears to be high on the agenda of the
industry and policy makers and is identified as one of the indicators to monitor
the progress towards achievements of SDG target 8.9, three is a need for
establishing clear and measurable indicators, based on internationally agreed
standards. The ILO statistical standards concerning employment, decent work
and employment in the environmental activities and green jobs as well the
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System of Environmental - Economic Accounting (SEEA) Central Framework
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and Tourism Satellite Account provide measurement framework.
A recommended set of employment related indicators assessing the three
dimensions of sustainability of tourism for may include:

7 Making Tourism More Sustainable - A Guide for Policy Makers, UNEP and UNWTO, 2005.
8 Statistical Framework for Measuring Sustainable Tourism- Draft prepared for initial round of
consultation with the UNWTO Committee on Tourism Statistics and TSA and the Working
Group of Experts on Measuring Sustainable Tourism
http://cf.cdn.unwto.org/sites/all/files/pdf/sf-mst_feb.pdf
9 https://unstats.un.org/unsd/envaccounting/seearev/seea_cf_final_en.pdf
10 https://unstats.un.org/unsd/publication/seriesf/seriesf_80rev1e.pdf
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