Sustainable Economic Development
Tourism contributes to the destination's long-term economic health
Responsible tourism thinks beyond immediate revenue. This sub-indicator asks whether operators contribute to the destination's long-term economic development — investing in local capacity, avoiding extractive practices, and aligning their business model with sustainable development goals.
Whether tourism contributes to the long-term, sustainable economic development of the destination rather than short-term extraction.
How RTA measures this
The same sub-indicator is assessed from two sides: operators self-assess their performance; travellers rate their experience. Both use a 1–5 scale.
“To what extent did this tour contribute to sustainable, long-term economic development rather than short-term value extraction?”
- 1We do not take our customers to local businesses (standards, time restrictions, etc.).
- 2We bring / or recommend our clients to local shops (aside from restaurants and bars).
- 3We take our clients to shops / sites / businesses / projects selected for their good practices and quality; locally / eco-friendly made souvenirs.
- 4In addition to the foregoing, we include existing traditional activities in the tour (crafts, cooking class, farming, arts, etc.). And/or: when we purchase welcome gifts for our clients we make sure they come from a social / environmental / eco-friendly project supporting sustainability.
- 5In addition to the foregoing, we monitor the impacts of this tour (information is available): our tour includes a hands-on experience of a local activity (cooking class, farming, crafts, arts). And/or: we help local entrepreneurs / local communities to set up new responsible services (craft, arts, workshops) we can work with.
“How well did this operator appear to support the long-term sustainable economic development of the destination?”
- 1The tour appeared designed for short-term profit extraction with little investment in the destination's future.
- 2Limited evidence of long-term economic commitment to the destination was apparent.
- 3Some investment in local economic development was evident, though the long-term impact was unclear.
- 4The operator showed a clear commitment to the destination's long-term economic wellbeing.
- 5The operator's contribution to the destination's sustainable economic development was outstanding and clearly evidenced.
Other sub-indicators in Local Economic Footprint & Livelihood
Rate this indicator yourself
Complete a questionnaire and see how an operator scores across all 16 sub-indicators.