METHODS FOR MEASURING SUSTAINABILITY IN TOURISM. A SYSTEMATIC COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF INDICATOR SYSTEMS AND FRAMEWORKS (2004-2024)

Abstract

Sustainable tourism measurement has evolved significantly since the UNWTO
published its landmark 2004 Guidebook cataloguing over 700 indicators. This article
systematically compares seven major measurement frameworks - the UNWTO Guidebook, the
European Tourism Indicator System (ETIS), the International Network of Sustainable Tourism
Observatories (INSTO), the Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism
(SF-MST, 2024), the OECD Regional Framework, Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC)
criteria, and ecological footprint methods - across six analytical dimensions: geographic scale,
institutional purpose, indicator architecture, data intensity, methodological strengths, and
limitations. Findings reveal a persistent trade-off between comprehensiveness and operational
feasibility, a structural science-policy gap, and the underrepresentation of governance indicators.
SF-MSTʼs unanimous endorsement by 193 UN member states in 2024 marks a significant
milestone, yet no single framework suffices for all contexts.