Step 6: Measure and report
Step 6: Measure and report
After setting a strategic course and defining clear KPIs, Step 6 focuses on measuring the effectiveness of your collective activities.
Evaluating the progress that both your organisation and your destination have made against those KPIs in Step 4, is crucial for understanding impact, ensuring accountability, and guiding continuous improvement.
Setting and monitoring progress
Performance metrics: Outline specific indicators your destination can track to measure the effectiveness of sustainable and regenerative tourism practices. The indicators should be measurable and meaningful to stakeholders, informing SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). Here are some examples:
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| Economic Impacts |
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| Social Impacts |
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Frameworks:
- Tourism focused: GDS-Index, GSTC Criteria, UN Tourism Framework for measuring the sustainability of tourism (for advanced users), European Tourism Indicators System (ETIS) for sustainable destination management (2016).
- Generic: Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Data collection: Implement a system that regularly collects data for each KPI. This involves gathering quantitative and qualitative data from public authorities, suppliers, NGOs, surveys, and companies offering services like resident sentiment analysis and social media listening. AI-powered tools can also reduce the workload.
Data management: Develop a strategy with reliable tools to capture and manage data centrally. This can be done in Excel, but a purpose-built database or a tool such as the GDS- Index simplifies this approach and can also provide benchmarking and analysis of performance (see Appendix 2). For advanced users with a dedicated budget for measurement, there are tools from vendors such as Mabrian or DataAppeal that provide high end functionality for measuring sustainability in a destination.
Analysis: Analyse the collected data to assess progress towards each goal. This analysis should highlight successes, identify areas for improvement, benchmark against peers where possible, and detect any deviations from expected outcomes.
Monitoring and reporting: Regularly monitor progress towards the internal goals. Transparency not only builds credibility but also holds the organisation accountable to its commitments.
Reporting and transparency
Internal review: Share findings internally to ensure that all team members are informed of progress, challenges and areas requiring attention. This fosters a culture of transparency and collective responsibility for meeting goals.
Engagement with interested parties: Communicate progress through detailed reports and updates. This open line of communication ensures they are engaged and can provide feedback or support as needed.
Public reporting: Share progress publicly to demonstrate accountability and celebrate achievements. Use frameworks like the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards to disclose details about strategies, initiatives, and impacts. Use various platforms to highlight successes and address challenges. For example, Gothenburg in Sweden demonstrates good practice in destination reporting. Check out their annual and sustainability reports.
Data based policy development: Use insights gained from measurement activities to refine and adjust destination policies, strategies and actions. This approach ensures that the destination remains on track to meet its goals and can respond effectively to changing circumstances or new opportunities.
Continuous improvement: Encourage a culture of continuous learning within the destination and among interested parties. Share lessons learned, best practices and case studies to build knowledge and inspire further action.
