Meaningful community engagement through advanced indicator systems for sustainable destination planning

Abstract

This study advances the measurement of sustainable development in communities and destinations examining socio-ecological, environmental, cultural, and economic dimensions. By integrating qualitive insights within established indicator systems such as the European Tourism Indicator System, it addresses the limitations of traditional, solely quantitative approaches. Carrying out over 400 resident surveys in Co. Clare, Ireland, the research established sustainable indicators and assessed the destination's sustainability through resident-based metrics. For instance, 87% of residents believed that tourism benefits their community, yet only 23% of residents were satisfied with their involvement in planning. Thematic analysis of the open-ended responses provided crucial themes for sustainable destination management, highlighting resident concerns on transport, planning, management, and community involvement and benefits. The study concluded that relying solely on quantitative indicators, limits Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) and planners to Likert scale results, failing to capture nuanced impacts observed by destinations. The study highlights the insufficiency of solely using quantitative indicators, which risk oversimplifying community inputs and misinterpreting resident dissatisfaction, signally a need for diverse solutions to address varied concerns. The study also identified survey fatigue as a governance challenge, potentially hindering future sustainable development efforts. Aligning with the socio-ecological indicators of the community-environment-development nexus call for papers, this interdisciplinary research demonstrates the value of advanced indicator systems in promoting meaningful community engagement and supporting policy formulation for sustainable destination development. It offers a comprehensive framework for integrating resident perspectives and thematic insights into destination management, contributing to a more inclusive and community-based approach to tourism development.