The European Tourism Indicator System : ETIS toolkit for sustainable destination management.
Date: 2017-03-23
Institutions: Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
Subjects: data collection, economic indicator, foreign tourism, information system, sustainable development, tourism, tourism policy, tourist infrastructure, tourist region

The European Tourism 
Indicator System

ETIS toolkit for sustainable destination management
March 2016

Internal Market, 
Industry, 
Entrepreneurship 
and SMEs

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The European Tourism 
Indicator System

ETIS toolkit for sustainable destination management
March 2016

The European Tourism Indicator System

3

Introduction

The European Commission launched the European Tourism Indicator System (ETIS) in 2013 with 
the aim helping destinations to monitor and measure their sustainable tourism performance, by 
using a common comparable approach.

ETIS is a voluntary management tool. Its monitoring results are based on self-assessment, obser-
vations, data collection and analysis by the destinations themselves. ETIS does not set minimum 
values to be achieved and it does not provide any certification.

In identifying a set of core indicators it does, however, provide destinations with the basic informa-
tion they need to monitor sustainability and to manage tourism activity more effectively.

The first set of ETIS indicators was the result of several years of cooperation between the Commis-
sion and the Tourism Sustainability Group (TSG) (1) and the European Commission committed itself 
with its Communication (2) ‘Europe the world’s n.1 tourist destinations - a new political framework 
for tourism in Europe’, notably action 11, ‘To develop, on the basis of Necstour (3) or EDEN (4), a sys-
tem of indicators for the management of destinations’.

The ETIS was based on 27 core indicators and 40 optional indicators, subdivided into four cat-
egories:

1.  destination management,
2.  social and cultural impact,
3.  economic value,
4.  environmental impact.

The feasibility and practicality of the ETIS Toolkit and the entire system at destination level was 
tested through two pilot phases over a 2-year period. More than 100 destinations across Europe 
implemented and tested ETIS and provided the Commission with feedback about their experience.

The Commission, with the support of a pool of experts, analysed this feedback and revised the sys-
tem in 2015-2016.

The current 2016 edition of the ETIS Toolkit is the result of this revision. It provides destinations 
with a fully tested system and a more realistic set of core indicators.

(1)  The TSG was composed of public and private sector experts in sustainable toruism and it advised the Commisison on 
the development of policies to promote a more sustainable and competitive approach towards tourism management 
and development.
(2)  COM(2010) 352 final.
(3)  Network for Competitive and sustainable tourism regions. 
(4)  European Destination of Excellence.

The European Tourism Indicator System

5

Contents

Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Sustainability of tourism at international and European level ................................................................ 7
The international dimension for global sustainable development .........................................................7
European Commission initiatives supporting tourism sustainability ....................................................8
Other initiatives taken by private stakeholders ................................................................................................9

European Tourism Indicator System .................................................................................................................. 10
What is the European Tourism Indicator System?........................................................................................10
Why measure and monitor sustainability indicators? ................................................................................10
What is a destination? ..................................................................................................................................................10
Why implement the European Tourism Indicator System? .....................................................................11
How does the European Tourism Indicator System work? .......................................................................11
The Toolkit...........................................................................................................................................................................12

Part 1: The seven-step guide to the implementation of the European Tourism Indicator 
System ............................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Step 1: Raise awareness .............................................................................................................................................13
Step 2: Create a destination profile .....................................................................................................................13
Step 3: Form a Stakeholder Working Group ....................................................................................................13
Step 4: Establish roles and responsibilities ......................................................................................................15
Step 5: Collect and record data ..............................................................................................................................16
Step 6: Analyse results ................................................................................................................................................16
Step 7: Enable ongoing development and continuous improvement ................................................17
Flow chart: Seven steps to using the system .................................................................................................19

Part 2: The core and supplementary indicators ............................................................................................ 20
Definition of core and supplementary indicators .........................................................................................20
Supplementary indicators ..........................................................................................................................................23

Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................... 25
The members of the ETIS pool of experts ........................................................................................................25
European Commission ETIS Team .........................................................................................................................27

The European Tourism Indicator System

7

Sustainability of tourism 
at international and European level

The tourism sector’s competitiveness is closely linked to its sustainability, as the quality of tourist 
destinations is strongly influenced by their natural and cultural environment and the attitudes of 
the local community.

Today,  sustainable  development  and  sustainability  are  integral  parts  of  the  debate  about  how 
tourism should use natural and social resources to gain economic benefits. It led to the growing 
recognition that public and private tourism actors need to consider the equal distribution of max-
imised economic benefits, the minimisation of the sociocultural impacts on hosts and tourists as 
well as the protection and the enhancement of the natural environment through tourism activities. 
Globally, several world-leading organisations have put sustainable tourism on their agenda, such 
as the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) (5) or the Global Sustainable Tourism 
Council (GSTC) (6).

Similar initiatives are mirrored in Europe and developed and implemented by EU institutions, such 
as the European Commission and the European Environment Agency (7), or by international organi-
sations such as the Council of Europe through the European Institute of Cultural Routes (8).

All of these activities try to reduce the difficulty of practically applying the theoretical concept of 
sustainability for a variety of stakeholders, which include the host community/destination, tourism 
businesses, policymakers (mainly at the local and regional level), non-governmental organisations, 
networks, clusters and tourists. In general, one of the main issues remains the complexity of the 
concept of sustainable tourism. Therefore, it continues to be a contested concept.

The international dimension for global sustainable development

Two  major  initiatives  at  international  level  are  the  GSTC  and  the  UNWTO  sustainable  tourism 
indicators. Both aim at contributing to the objectives of the United Nations 2030 agenda for sus-
tainable development.

The GSTC was formally constituted in 2010 as a body for establishing and managing standards for 
sustainable tourism. It represents global membership, including UN agencies, leading travel compa-
nies, hotels, country tourism boards, tour operators, individuals and communities — all striving to 
achieve best practices in sustainable tourism. The GSTC was drawn up to identify the minimum sus-
tainability standards that businesses, governments and other stakeholders should meet to achieve 
social,  environmental,  cultural  and  economic  sustainability  in  destinations.  To  date,  two  sets  of 
GSTC criteria have been developed for hotels, tour operators and destinations. The GSTC provides 
services to its members through the destinations and the education and training programme. In 
addition, its market access and its integrity programme verify that certification programmes com-
ply with the GSTC criteria for sustainable tourism.

The UNWTO has been promoting the use of sustainable tourism indicators since the early 1990s. 
Its  guidebook  on  indicators  of  sustainable  development  for  tourism  destinations  is  designed  to 
help identify the key factors that make a destination sustainable, viable and attractive. By 2030, 
the UNWTO aims to devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism which creates 
jobs and promotes local culture and products. It also develops and implements tools to monitor 
sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism. The global mandate of UNWTO, in line 

(5)  www2.unwto.org
(6)  www.gstcouncil.org
(7)  www.eea.europa.eu
(8)  www.coe.int; www.culture-routes.net

8

The European Tourism Indicator System

with the 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns 
(10YFP) (9), is to catalyse changes in tourism operations through evidence-based decision-making, 
efficiency, innovation and collaboration among stakeholders, monitoring and the adoption of a life 
cycle approach for continuous improvement.

European Commission initiatives supporting tourism sustainability

The  European  Commission  has  long  committed  itself  to  promoting  sustainable  development  of 
tourism in Europe. A number of initiatives have been put in place to facilitate sound environmental, 
social, cultural and economic management for businesses and destinations. These include:

• 
• 
• 

the EU eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) and the EU Ecolabel,
the Tourism and Environment Reporting Mechanism (TOUERM),
the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives (CSR).

The EU eco-management and audit scheme

EMAS (10) is a tool developed by the Commission allowing actors in the tourism sector to improve 
their environmental performance and promote the quality of their services.

This voluntary tool and certification scheme aims to help its users to achieve enhanced perfor-
mance. Registered organisations also gain credibility and transparency thanks to a verification of 
performance and the validation of external communication (the EMAS environmental statement) 
by a third-party verifier.

The  European  Commission,  in  consultation  with  EU  Member  States  and  other  stakeholders,  has 
developed  sectoral  reference  documents  (SRDs)  (11).  The  objective  of  SRDs  is  to  provide 
additional  guidance  and  inspiration  to  organisations  aiming  to  improve  and  communicate  their 
performance.  The  SRD  for  the  tourism  sector  covers  best  environmental  management  prac-
tices within organisations in the tourism sector that provide accommodation, food and beverage 
services, manage tourism destinations or provide travel, accommodation or activities for tourism 
(travel agents and tour operators).

The EU Ecolabel

The EU Ecolabel (12) is a voluntary label of environmental excellence of the European Union. It helps 
consumers identify products and services that have a reduced environmental impact throughout 
their life cycle, from the extraction of raw material through to production, use and disposal. The EU 
Ecolabel is recognised throughout Europe.

The Tourism and Environment Reporting Mechanism

TOUERM (13), developed by the European Environment Agency, is based on the use of indicators. 
These indicators are policy relevant, feasible and regularly updated in order to be able to reflect 
both  environmental  impacts  (baseline  and  threshold)  and  sustainability  trends  at  a  European 
scale.  Some  of  the  indicators  may  also  address  specific  geographical  contexts,  such  as  coastal 
zones, rural areas and urban areas. Some relevant information deriving from destinations might 
also be included if relevant.

(9)  http://www.unep.org/10yfp/About/Whatisthe10YFP/tabid/106245/Default.aspx
(10)  www.emas.eu
(11)  http://susproc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/activities/emas/
(12)  www.ecolabel.eu, http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ecolabel/products-groups-and-criteria.html
(13)  http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications#c14=&c12=&c7=en&c11=5&b_start=0

The European Tourism Indicator System

9

Corporate social responsibility

In  its  2011  Communication  (14)  on  Corporate  Social  Responsibility,  the  European  Commission 
defined  CSR  as  ‘the  responsibility  of  enterprises  for  their  impacts  on  society’.  According  to  the 
communication, enterprises should have a process in place that integrates social, ethical, environ-
mental, human rights and consumer concerns in their core business.

By definition, CSR is a cross-cutting issue relevant to a variety of European policies including: enter-
prise  and  industrial  policy,  social  affairs,  employment,  corporate  governance  and  company  law; 
environment, consumer affairs and trade; development, external relations, human rights, justice, 
home affairs, research, education and training.

Enterprises are important stakeholders in the destination and sustainable destination management 
by adopting a more responsible business model, and the integration of CSR by companies plays a 
strategic role. Moreover, it must be said that CSR is increasingly seen as an integral part of com-
petitiveness and brand loyalty, since nowadays enterprises are faced with stronger pressure from 
stakeholders and consumers regarding their responsibility.

Since the start of the 2000s, the European Commission has actively supported the development 
of CSR (15) and the Europe 2020 strategy identified it as a contributor to inclusive growth. At the 
same time, CSR maintains its voluntary nature and is seen as complementary with EU and Mem-
ber States legislation.

Other initiatives taken by private stakeholders

In addition to the above, several private organisations representing the tourism industry or des-
tinations have established monitoring tools and certification schemes in the area of sustainable 
tourism.

As an example, the Network of European Regions for Sustainable and Competitive Tourism (Nec-
stour) (16) has since 2007 been committed to implementing the 10 principles of the agenda for a 
sustainable and competitive European tourism (17).

In addition, Europarc (the Federation of European protected areas) has created and disseminated 
the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas, a practical management tool for 
ensuring that tourism contributes to a balanced economic, social and environmental development 
of protected areas in Europe.

Since 1993, the European network for sustainable tourism development, Ecotrans, has been help-
ing to make tourism more sustainable through the sharing of experience and know-how with its 
members as well as through global networking, supporting and contributing to joint projects and 
its DestiNet portal. DestiNet is managed by Ecotrans as a UN-registered Partnership for Sustaina-
ble Development to support the sustainable development goals 2030. The ‘Green Travel Maps’ on 
DestiNet provide transparency on sustainable tourism certification worldwide and help destinations 
and their businesses to monitor, manage and market their green tourism offer.

A summary of private initiatives and a (non-exhaustive) guide to the existing labels can be found in 
the booklet A guide through the tourism label jungle. It was edited by the Working Group on Tour-
ism and Development, Bread for the World, Tourism Watch and Naturefriends International (18).

(14)  COM(2011) 681 final. 
(15)  http://ec.europa.eu/growth/industry/corporate-social-responsibility/index_en.htm
(16)  www.necstour.eu/necstour
(17)  COM(2007) 321 final.
(18)  http://www.tourism-watch.de/en/content/guide-through-tourism-label-jungle

10

The European Tourism Indicator System

European Tourism Indicator System

What is the European Tourism Indicator System?

The ETIS is a management, information and monitoring tool specifically intended for tourism des-
tinations. It is designed as a locally owned and led process for collecting and analysing data with 
the overall objective to assess the impact of tourism on a destination.

The  specific  objective  of  the  ETIS  is  to  contribute  to  improving  the  sustainable  management  of 
destinations. It aims at helping destinations and the stakeholders within to measure their sustaina-
bility management processes, enabling them to monitor their performance and progress over time.

Why measure and monitor sustainability indicators?

For too long local policymakers have relied on a limited range of statistics, such as visitor-arrival 
numbers, employment surveys and visitor-satisfaction ratings, to monitor tourism in their destina-
tion. These statistics do not tell the whole story of tourism’s impact. Collecting data and information 
on a broad range of issues relevant to the impact on local economy, community and environment 
will help destinations build an accurate picture of what is really going on.

Although  definitions,  agendas,  guiding  principles  and  regional  strategies  have  been  well  estab-
lished, there are few tools available to help local destination coordinators make informed decisions 
to improve the tourism in their destination.

What is a destination?

For the purposes of this system of indicators, a destination can be defined as:

•  a geographic area that is currently or potentially attractive to visitors/tourists;
•  a place or area which is recognised and can easily be defined as a visitor destination and 

has a range of facilities and products in place for tourism purposes;

•  a place or area which is promoted as a destination;
•  a place or area where it is possible to measure the supply of and demand for tourism ser-

vices, i.e. the visitor economy;

•  a place or area where the visitor management process usually includes a range of public and 

private-sector stakeholders together with the host community.

Large areas like national or regional areas that do not directly manage tourism resources and facil-
ities but engage with stakeholders are not appropriate for this system.

Tourism destinations are the focal point of tourism activity. Eurostat (19) data show that Europeans 
made just over one billion trips in 2014. The average trip spend was EUR 334; a total of EUR 391 
billion in expenditure.

This economic impact is felt in employment, increased tax revenues, successful business growth, 
environmental  conservation  and  cultural  heritage  protection.  However,  every  tourist  also  leaves 
waste behind, uses water and energy and has an impact on the communities they visit. Therefore, 
informed and collaborative destination management is essential for European tourism destinations 
to be viable in the long term.

(19)  http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Tourism_trips_-_introduction_and_key_figures

The European Tourism Indicator System

11

Why implement the European Tourism Indicator System?

The ETIS represents a common methodology towards sustainable destination management. It is 
not a certification system or an eco-labelling scheme, but a highly effective management tool pro-
vided by the European Commission.

The ETIS is specially designed for tourism destinations to allow monitoring of performance and for 
helping destinations to develop and carry out their plans for greater sustainability with a long-term 
vision.

A dedicated ETIS Toolkit is guiding destinations in the implementation process. Through a step-by-
step guide, destinations can learn an effective process that finally leads to the establishment of the 
indicator system, starting from raising awareness, engaging stakeholders and defining responsibili-
ties and then going ahead with collecting data and analysing results for continuous improvements.

A key step is the multi-stakeholder approach that encourages destinations to form a Stake-
holder Working Group (an interdisciplinary team), establishes priorities, roles and responsibilities 
among players, stimulates cooperation and coordination and supports the management and mon-
itoring process.

The set of core indicators, which cover the main dimensions of sustainability, contributes to col-
lecting  data  about  the  various  aspects  and  activities  of  the  tourism  destination  from  different 
information sources at local level. In this respect, the ETIS promotes the development and improve-
ment of an integrated information system that can be a support for filling the gap of information 
and also for other analysis and evaluations.

Finally, since tourism competitiveness is closely linked to its sustainability, the ETIS allows policy 
and decision-makers to monitor the main elements that determine the destination attractiveness 
and competitiveness on the market so they can enhance the visitor experience and ensure cus-
tomer satisfaction.

The key benefits for your destination:

improved information for decision-making,

• 
•  effective risk management,
•  prioritisation of action projects,
•  performance benchmarking,
• 
•  enhanced visitor experience,
• 
• 

increased bottom-line/cost savings,
increased value per visitor.

improved community buy-in and support for tourism stakeholders,

How does the European Tourism Indicator System work?

The ETIS is a complete management process based on a set of sustainability indicators.

12

The European Tourism Indicator System

It contains 43 core indicators and an indicative set of supplementary indicators. These can be 
used as needed and appropriate: the system can be used in its entirety or integrated into existing 
destination-monitoring systems.

An important added value of the system is that destinations can choose themselves the most rele-
vant indicators they wish to adopt and monitor in order to meet the needs of the destinations, the 
interest of local stakeholders and the specific sustainability issues that the destination faces. This 
provides additional flexibility to the system and improves the potential of feasibility and success.

The  basic  principle  of  the  indicator  system  is  that  destination  responsibility,  ownership,  and 
decision-making is shared. Engaging a group to come together and work to collect and report infor-
mation is a powerful way to undertake effective destination management.

The Toolkit

The  process  of  putting  into  action  the  ETIS  is  summarised  in  the  present  Toolkit.  It  is  a  simple, 
easy-to-implement tool intended to help destinations manage and monitor greater sustainability.

The Toolkit consists of two parts. Part 1 is a step-by-step guide to the application of the system 
and Part 2 contains a synopsis of the core indicators and of the set of supplementary indicators.

The indicators in this Toolkit are part of an integrated approach to destination management. This 
approach  stresses  the  importance  of  collaboration,  cooperation,  ongoing  assessment,  effective 
communication and a holistic perspective.

Several IT  supporting  documents have been developed to help the destinations in the imple-
mentation of the ETIS, such as: destination datasheet (which is a tool to capture the data collected 
by stakeholders); destination profile; invitation letter template and surveys (visitor, resident, des-
tination management and enterprise); and glossary. These documents are available on the ETIS 
website of the European Commission (20).

Who is the Toolkit for?

The execution of this Toolkit should be coordinated by a local ‘champion’ who is motivated to ini-
tiate the implementation of the system in their destination. This could be a senior representative 
from the destination management organisation, destination marketing board, tourist board, local/
regional tourism authorities, tourism ministry, private sector or tourism association. As the ‘cham-
pion’ can come from a range of backgrounds, for the purposes of the ETIS, the individual leading 
the implementation of the indicator system in their destination is known as the local destination 
coordinator.

The role of local destination coordinators

The role of the local destination coordinator is crucial. It normally includes the planning, coordina-
tion, stakeholders’ management, tourism indicators monitoring, communication and marketing. It 
can also include the organisation of capacity building and other training activities, as well as some 
research activities related to the assessment and the selection of quality standards. To take on this 
role an individual will need the ability to gather and influence stakeholders, have access to relevant 
data (or the ability to access it through others), be entrusted to store the data (some of it may be 
sensitive) and have some level of management authority.

(20)  http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/offer/sustainable/indicators/index_en.htm

The European Tourism Indicator System

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Part 1: The seven-step guide 
to the implementation of the 
European Tourism Indicator System

Step 1: Raise awareness

Once  a  destination  decides  to  measure  its  sustainability  using  the  ETIS,  it  is  important  to  com-
municate the decision to as many stakeholders as possible. This will help increase participation, 
raise awareness of the destination’s commitment to sustainable tourism and increase support for 
actions that might need to be undertaken based on the indicator results.

Local  destination  coordinators  should  use  all  methods  of  communication  at  their  disposal  and 
make sure that their local authority/municipality is doing the same. Social media can be useful and 
cost-effective for communicating quickly and simply. It also has the added benefit of encouraging 
discussion, which will be particularly valuable as implementation progresses.

Lesson learnt from the pilot phases

Destinations piloting the ETIS have also emphasised the importance of obtaining relevant local political support for 
implementation and it can be useful to have this commitment publically announced.

Step 2: Create a destination profile

Defining the boundaries of the destination and providing other stakeholders with a general overview 
on it are crucial steps in data collection. The ETIS tool provided to facilitate this is the destina-
tion profile form, which is the key starting point to implementation. This form, which is a useful 
resource for destination management, can be downloaded from the European Commission’s web-
site (21). The form is simple to complete. It helps define the destination and provides a useful frame 
(i.e. about the geography, tourism amenities, transport links and visitor numbers) of reference for 
 stakeholders.

Step 3: Form a Stakeholder Working Group

The next step is to establish a Stakeholder Working Group. The SWG is a collection of organisa-
tions and individuals in the destination with an involvement and interest in the tourism 
industry.  This  should  be  hosted  by  the  local  destination  coordinator  with  his/her  staff  and,  if 
appropriate, the national or regional tourism organisation.

(21)  http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/offer/sustainable/indicators/index_en.htm

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The European Tourism Indicator System

To be able to gather enough data to be representative and meaningful, it will be essential to have 
representatives  from  the  private  sector  and  the  destination  management  organisation  or 
tourism authority playing an active role in the SWG. Other sectors that are important to include 
are community groups, utility providers, local authority departments responsible for employment, 
economic growth, planning, protected areas and the environment. Local destination coordinators 
should encourage representatives from these and other relevant sectors to get involved by empha-
sising the benefits of participation to both the individual and the organisation they represent.

An average stakeholder group will generally consist of around 15-20 people (less in a small des-
tination).

Some suggested organisations to have represented on the SWG are:

•  a regional/local tourism organisation and tourism development company,
local planning, transport and rural/urban development departments,
• 
•  a waste management department (water and solid),
•  a water supply department or company (local and regional),
•  an energy department and/or supplier,
•  a police/security department,
•  a forestry/protected area or parks management department,
•  an airport/port authority (if applicable),
•  a local hotel or tourism association,
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

tour guide, camping, caravan, villa or apartment associations,
relevant non-governmental organisations,
the local chamber of commerce,
tourism employee associations and/or unions,
relevant academic institutions involved in associated research.

Lesson learnt from the pilot phases

Previous piloting of the ETIS has shown that there is no one set formula that works for every destination. It is 
important to be flexible and take an approach that best suits the destination and the group of people involved.

If destinations have an existing committee or task force that meets for a similar purpose, it would 
make sense to try to integrate the ETIS process into the scope of the existing group (by explaining 
the implications, gaining agreement and, if necessary, inviting some other members). Where there 
is no existing committee, starting with a small group of key stakeholders and then building up par-
ticipation over time can be very effective and is more manageable than starting with a very large 
group. The ideal group will be large enough to include a diverse group of key stakeholders but not 
so large that making decisions becomes difficult.

The aim is for a good mix of people who are able to obtain relevant data, influence policy and are 
also motivated and committed to the process. Destination coordinators are encouraged to make 
contact with other destinations that have implemented the ETIS for additional support and advice 
on forming the SWG. A sample letter of invitation to join the SWG is also provided on the European 
Commission’s website (22). This can be used as appropriate and can be adapted to suit particular 
circumstances. In certain circumstances it may be easier to approach people by telephone or email 
for  example,  while  some  stakeholders,  particularly  those  from  other  sectors  (energy  and  water 
suppliers, police, etc.), may need a slightly amended invitation to emphasise the relevance of the 
initiative for their sector.

Stakeholder Working Group meeting

The  most  effective  way  to  involve  all  relevant  stakeholders  is  by  inviting  them  to  a  meeting  or 
workshop. A broad range of representatives from tourism and all related sectors should attend the 

(22)  http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/offer/sustainable/indicators/index_en.htm

The European Tourism Indicator System

15

meeting. At this event, the ETIS can be presented and its relevance to both the destination and the 
individuals in attendance can be explained. Ideally, this meeting should be held in a fairly central 
location within the destination.

• 

It is an opportunity to give SWG members an overview of the ETIS and the benefits the des-
tination will gain from using it. It may prove difficult to gather suitable stakeholders from 
every relevant discipline at the initial meeting of the SWG. However, as long as some of the 
key stakeholders are represented and are ready to get involved, the system can be adopted. 
The size of the group and the data collected can be expanded over time.

•  At the meeting, the local destination coordinator should also introduce the core indi-
cators to the SWG and gain feedback on their relevance to the destination and the needs 
of the stakeholders. They should also discuss the availability of existing data and how data 
for some or all of the remaining indicators could be obtained.

•  As the meeting is participatory, SWG members can also be invited to share their knowl-
edge and experience of particular aspects of the destination. It is important to listen 
to the stakeholders as well as to speak. It is also important to help steer the group towards 
understanding the process and help reach an agreement on how to move things forward.
•  An important outcome from the meeting is a clear agreement on the engagement of the 
stakeholders, the  responsibilities of SWG members and a timeline for  data collection,  i.e. 
which stakeholder is collecting data for each indicator, when and how.

Step 4: Establish roles and responsibilities

As mentioned above, clear responsibilities of SGW members’ roles and interests, as well as for the 
data collection, should be agreed on at the SWG meeting. This process will not only help in prioritis-
ing data collection for core indicators, but will also generate a sense of ownership and commitment 
to the process.

For example, the representative from the municipality waste disposal team should be able to report 
back with data on recycling rates, the representative from the local electricity provider on energy 
consumption, etc.

It is the role of the local destination coordinator to steer stakeholders towards an agree-
ment  on  setting  targets,  taking  action  and  planning  how  to  achieve  these  aims,  as 
appropriate. It is important to clearly define which member of the SWG will be responsible for which 
target and obtain their agreement to this.

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The European Tourism Indicator System

Step 5: Collect and record data

Initially, the SWG should aim at establishing a steady workflow of data collection.

As  mentioned  before,  destinations  can  themselves  choose  the  most  relevant  indicators 
they wish to adopt and monitor to meet the needs of the destination.

Most indicator data should be readily available from each SWG member’s sector, employment role 
and interest or be accessible through other authorities, e.g. at a national level. Data collection 
should simply be a process of bringing the various data sources together in one place to 
build a detailed picture of the destination’s tourism industry. Detailed explanations of how 
to collect the data necessary for each indicator is provided in the ETIS datasheets available on the 
European Commission’s website (23).

Some indicators will have data that are missing or that need expanding. This information can be 
sourced by conducting surveys, questionnaires and other types of activities. A selection of sample 
survey forms is annexed to the ETIS Toolkit and is available on the European Commission’s web-
site (24). These can either be used as they are or adapted to suit the destination’s needs. 
For example, existing surveys can be used or questions can be added from the templates to mod-
ify existing surveys. If the destination lacks the resources to implement surveys, coordinators can 
collect the available data for the other indicators and discuss with the SWG how they may be able 
to address the resource requirements to undertake the surveys in the future.

Data do not have to be collected for every indicator every year. The SWG will need to agree 
on the suitable data collection cycles.

Lesson learnt from the pilot phases

Destinations piloting the ETIS have found that while some figures are easy to collect annually, others (such as data 
from surveys) are more cost-effective if undertaken perhaps every 3 years.

The  most  important  thing  is  to  start  collecting  data.  It  does  not  matter  if  data  are  only 
available for a few indicators, it is much better to start the process and build up the indicator infor-
mation over time than delay starting until every single piece of data is on hand.

The local destination coordinator should be able to act as the point of contact for collation of the 
indicator data collected by the SWG. A simple tool, the destination datasheet, allows coordinators 
to collect the data on the various indicators that are received from stakeholders. It also helps the 
results of the data collection to be captured and easily shared with the SWG and facilitates com-
parison of the performance of the destination over time.

Step 6: Analyse results

Prioritising needs and setting an action plan

Once data collection works smoothly and the indicator data are collected and submitted by stake-
holders, then collated into the destination datasheet online, the SWG can move towards analysing 
the findings and defining the necessary actions.

The local destination coordinator should call a further meeting of the SWG. The group can then 
review and analyse the results, decide on some realistic benchmarks or targets and agree on a plan 
on how to achieve these.

(23)  http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/offer/sustainable/indicators/index_en.htm
(24)  http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/offer/sustainable/indicators/index_en.htm

The European Tourism Indicator System

17

For example, if the results show that the destination has:

•  a decline in biodiversity;
•  poor accessibility for disabled visitors;
•  a low percentage of tourism accommodations engaged in water saving activities.

Local destination coordinators can decide together with the SWG which of these issues is a pri-
ority for the destination and agree to take action. Some suggestions for action are included 
in the datasheets available on the European Commission’s website (25).

When the issues have been prioritised, those requiring most urgent attention can be compiled into 
an  action  plan  (i.e.  which  indicators  and  issues  require  action,  in  what  order,  when,  how  and  by 
whom).

For example, the SWG may feel that saving and storing water is the highest priority issue for the 
destination. In this case, SWG members will need to work together to come up with an action plan 
to implement water conservation. The plan could be championed by the destination’s water pro-
vider, the local equivalent of the hotel association and/or the local coordinator.

The SWG may also be able to make improvements in more than one indicator at a time, i.e. per-
haps when communicating with hoteliers on saving water; it may also be possible to engage them 
in saving energy and/or improving biodiversity.

Step 7: Enable ongoing development and continuous improvement

Defining a strategy, maintaining the use of the European Tourism Indicator System 
and communicating results

Once the SWG has an action plan in place to tackle immediate priorities, a strategy for longer-
term improvement can be developed. The SWG should aim to draw up a 3-year plan which outlines 
what the group expects to achieve and when, with areas of responsibility clarified. Each member 
should be able to commit to some small improvements in their own particular area of work, which 
over time will add up to significant changes and improvements.

It is important that the indicators and the data are regularly reviewed and that addi-
tional  supplementary  indicators  are  included  when  possible,  as  appropriate  to  the 
destination. Broadening the range of indicators measured will help build a more complete picture 
of the destination. It will also allow for improvements of a larger scope of performance.

Another issue to consider is whether funding could be obtained to support the long-term use of the 
ETIS and cover the cost of improvements, data collection and other work undertaken by the SWG.

(25)  http://ec.europa.eu/growth/sectors/tourism/offer/sustainable/indicators/index_en.htm

18

The European Tourism Indicator System

It is also useful to discuss and gain an agreement on the communication of results and eventual 
success stories to wider groups of stakeholders, the local community and other organisations and 
people outside the destination.

In  time,  the  data  collected  should  help  tell  a  story  about  the  destination  that  can  be 
integrated  into  marketing  and  communication  plans,  as  well  as  informing  long-term 
strategy and policy. When communicating to the public, the SWG can then consider the different 
types of tourists that may now be encouraged to visit the destination and present it to potential vis-
itors highlighting their points of interest. This will help to maximise the economic benefit that can 
result from better management and a more sustainable destination.

The European Tourism Indicator System

19

Flow chart: Seven steps to using the system

Step 1

Raise awareness

Step 2

Create a destination profile

Step 3

Form a Stakeholder Working 
Group

Step 4

Establish roles and 
responsibilities

Step 5

Collect and record data

Step 6

Analyse results

Step 7

Enable ongoing development and 
continuous improvement

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20

The European Tourism Indicator System

Part 2: The core and supplementary 
indicators

Definition of core and supplementary indicators

Core indicators

The core indicators gather together the essential, key or baseline information that a destination 
needs to understand, monitor and manage its performance.

The 43 core indicators cover the fundamental aspects of sustainability monitoring and provide 
the basis for effective destination management. They also allow for comparison over time and 
for benchmarking between destinations.

Ideally,  all  the  indicators  should  be  regularly  monitored,  but  not  all  destinations  will  be  able  to 
obtain all the data required at the outset. This should not prevent them from starting the process 
of sustainability monitoring as collecting some data can help to establish the process, secure a link 
into the ETIS and lead to better information gathering.

Supplementary indicators

Once  a  clear  process  has  been  established  for  monitoring  the  core  indicators,  destinations  may 
wish to collect additional information that is tailored more to their destination type or category or 
the particular tourism market that they serve or promote.

The ETIS therefore includes the opportunity to consider supplementary indicators that add to the 
basic information provided and allow destinations to tailor the system to their own particular needs 
or destination category, e.g. mountain, city, rural, coastal, island and urban areas, as well as coor-
dinated approaches and macroregional and/or transnational dimensions.

Such indicators will need to be provided with a clear methodology for data collection and be tested 
if they are to be shared with and/or used by other destinations.

A list of possible supplementary indicators has been included to provide an example of what can 
be considered, covering coastal, maritime, accessibility and transnational cultural routes 
issues.

The European Tourism Indicator System

21

Section A: Destination management

Criteria

Indicator 
reference#

ETIS core indicators

A.1 Sustainable tourism 
public policy

A.2 Customer satisfaction

A.1.1

A.2.1

A.2.2

Percentage of tourism enterprises/establishments in the destination using a 
voluntary certification/labelling for environmental /quality/sustainability and/or 
Corporate Social Responsibility

Percentage of tourists and same-day visitors that are satisfied with their overall 
experience in the destination 

Percentage of repeat/return visitors (within 5 years)

Section B: Economic value

Criteria

Indicator 
reference#

B.1 Tourism flow (volume 
and value) at destination 

B.2 Tourism enterprise(s) 
performance

B.3 Quantity and quality 
of employment

B.4 Tourism supply chain 

B.1.1

B.1.2

B.1.3

B.1.4

B.1.5

B.2.1

B.2.2

B.3.1

B.3.2

B.4.1

Section C: Social and cultural impact

Criteria

Indicator 
reference#

C.1 Community/social impact

C.2 Health and safety

C.3 Gender equality 

C.4 Inclusion/accessibility

C.5 Protecting and enhancing 
cultural heritage, local 
identity and assets

C.1.1

C.1.2

C.1.3

C.1.4

C.2.1

C.3.1

C.3.2

C.4.1

C.4.2

C.4.3

C.4.4

C.5.1

C.5.2

ETIS core indicators

Number of tourist nights per month

Number of same-day visitors per month

Relative contribution of tourism to the destination’s economy (% GDP)

Daily spending per overnight tourist

Daily spending per same-day visitors

Average length of stay of tourists (nights)

Occupancy rate in commercial accommodation per month and average for the 
year

Direct tourism employment as percentage of total employment in the destination

Percentage of jobs in tourism that are seasonal

Percentage of locally produced food, drinks, goods and services sourced by the 
destination’s tourism enterprises

ETIS core indicators

Number of tourists/visitors per 100 residents

Percentage of residents who are satisfied with tourism in the destination (per 
month/season)

Number of beds available in commercial accommodation establishments per 100 
residents

Number of second homes per 100 homes

Percentage of tourists who register a complaint with the police

Percentage of men and women employed in the tourism sector

Percentage of tourism enterprises where the general manager position is held by 
a woman 

Percentage of rooms in commercial accommodation establishments accessible for 
people with disabilities

Percentage of commercial accommodation establishments participating in 
recognised accessibility information schemes

Percentage of public transport that is accessible to people with disabilities and 
specific access requirements

Percentage of tourist attractions that are accessible to people with disabilities 
and/or participating in recognised accessibility information schemes

Percentage of residents that are satisfied with the impacts of tourism on the 
destination’s identity

Percentage of the destination’s events that are focused on traditional/local culture 
and heritage

22

The European Tourism Indicator System

Section D: Environmental impact

Criteria

D.1 Reducing transport 
impact

D.2 Climate change

D.3 Solid waste 
management

D.4 Sewage treatment

D.5 Water management

D.6 Energy usage

D.7 Landscape and 
biodiversity protection

Indicator 
reference#

ETIS core indicators

D.1.1

D.1.2

D.1.3

D.1.4

D.2.1

D.2.2

D.3.1

D.3.2

D.3.3

D.4.1

D.5.1

D.5.2

D.5.3

D.6.1

D.6.2

D.6.3

D.7.1

Percentage of tourists and same-day visitors using different modes of transport to 
arrive at the destination 

Percentage of tourists and same-day visitors using local/soft mobility/public 
transport services to get around the destination

Average travel (km) by tourists and same-day visitors from home to the 
destination

Average carbon footprint of tourists and same-day visitors travelling from home 
to the destination

Percentage of tourism enterprises involved in climate change mitigation schemes 
— such as: CO2 offset, low energy systems, etc.— and ‘adaptation’ responses and 
actions

Percentage of tourism accommodation and attraction infrastructure located in 
‘vulnerable zones’

Waste production per tourist night compared to general population waste 
production per person (kg)

Percentage of tourism enterprises separating different types of waste

Percentage of total waste recycled per tourist compared to total waste recycled 
per resident per year

Percentage of sewage from the destination treated to at least secondary level 
prior to discharge

Water consumption per tourist night compared to general population water 
consumption per resident night

Percentage of tourism enterprises taking actions to reduce water consumption

Percentage of tourism enterprises using recycled water

Energy consumption per tourist night compared to general population energy 
consumption per resident night

Percentage of tourism enterprises that take actions to reduce energy consumption

Percentage of annual amount of energy consumed from renewable sources (Mwh) 
compared to overall energy consumption at destination level per year

Percentage of local enterprises in the tourism sector actively supporting 
protection, conservation and management of local biodiversity and landscapes

The European Tourism Indicator System

23

Supplementary indicators

The following indicative list of supplementary indicators has to be considered as a starting 
point and as an example of specific indicators which have already been tested and can be tailored 
for a specific type of destination or for other needs.

Therefore, the current list can be further enriched with additional indicators in the future, once they 
have been implemented by destinations.

Maritime and coastal tourism

Passengers and ports

Number of incoming and outgoing passengers per port per month

Number of berths and moorings for recreational boating

Water quality

Level of pollution in seawater per 100 ml (faecal coliforms, campylobacter)

Beaches

Percentage of beaches awarded the Blue Flag

Area and volume of sand nourishment

Total km of free beaches relative to total km of beaches

Percentage of beaches accessible to all

Number of days per year the beach/shore is closed due to contamination

Accessible tourism

Sustainable tourism policy

Percentage of the destination with an accessible tourism strategy/action plan, with agreed monitoring, 
development control and evaluation arrangement

Equality/accessibility

Percentage of commercial accommodation with rooms accessible to people with disabilities and/or 
participating in recognised accessibility information schemes

Does the destination have an identified accessibility management office or person available to the 
public?

Percentage of businesses that have a budget for accessibility improvements 

Reducing transport impact

Percentage of each category of transport in the destination that is accessible, i.e. public transport and 
private hire coaches, minibuses, taxis or minicabs

24

The European Tourism Indicator System

Transnational cultural routes

Destination management survey

Is your destination part of a cultural route certified by the Council of Europe?

If yes, is there any policy in place for the cultural route’s visibility?

If yes, does the local community participate in this policy?

Do cultural/tourist events linked to the cultural route take place in your destination?

Is the logo of the cultural route of the Council of Europe present on the documents or visible in tourist 
offices?

Percentage of tourist offers available in your destination highlighting the theme of the cultural route

Enterprise survey

Is your enterprise located along a cultural route certified by the Council of Europe?

If yes, are the products of your enterprise linked within the theme/activities of the cultural route?

If yes, is the communication on your enterprise/products mentioning the links with the cultural route? 

Is the cultural route promoting/making visible your enterprise/products?

Resident survey

Benefits for the community from the cultural route involving my destination

Is the community informed about the cultural route? 

Is the local community involved in the actions organised within the framework of the cultural route’s 
activities?

Are there benefits for me from the cultural route involving my destination?

Percentage of residents satisfied with their involvement and their influence in the planning and 
development of the cultural route

Percentage of residents who have positive or negative views on the impact of the cultural route on my 
destination’s identity 

Effect of the cultural route on the distinctiveness and local identity, culture and heritage of the 
destination

Effect of the cultural route on the quality of life in the destination

Percentage of residents who have positive views on the impact of the cultural route on tourism 

Effect of the cultural route on cultural and tourism offers of the destination

The European Tourism Indicator System

25

Acknowledgements

The ETIS pool of experts is an informal experts group set up by the European Commission in 2013, 
in order to support its work in the assessment of the ETIS pilot phases and in the revision of the 
ETIS Toolkit.

The  pool  of  experts  has  been  coordinated  by  the  unit  responsible  for  the  development  and  the 
implementation of the ETIS, Unit F.4 — Tourism, Creative and Emerging Industries — of the Direc-
torate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (26).

The members of the ETIS pool of experts

Peter  Lane is a British planning and tourism professional, with direct experience in destination 
management, a freelance consultant and the chair of the Executive Committee at British Destina-
tions.

Janez  Sirse  is  a  Slovenian  international  freelance  consultant  for  sustainable  and  competitive 
tourism with extensive experience in tourism development, marketing, destination management, 
education and capacity building in both the EU and central and south-eastern European countries.

Francesc Romagosa has a PhD in Geography and is a professor and researcher at the School of 
Tourism and at the Department of Geography (Autonomous University of Barcelona), as well as an 
expert in sustainable tourism and ecotourism and coastal and protected areas.

Professor Graham Miller holds a chair in sustainability in business at the University of Surrey 
and is Head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Professor Miller is currently 
the co-editor of the Journal of sustainable tourism, the lead judge for the World Travel and Tour-
ism Council’s Tourism for Tomorrow awards and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global 
Agenda Council on the Future of Travel and Tourism. Professor Miller is also a distinguished univer-
sity professor at Wakayama University, Japan.

(26)  Grow-etis@ec.europa.eu

26

The European Tourism Indicator System

Silvia  Barbone  is  an  international  expert  in  sustainable  tourism,  funding  and  project  manage-
ment. She is a senior tourism strategist, a project management lead trainer and the developer of 
the PM4SD™ ‘Project management for sustainable development’ certification.

Rachel McCaffey holds a Master’s Degree in International Tourism Policy and has over 20 years of 
international experience in tourism and sustainability. A specialist in both tourism indicator systems 
and public–private partnerships, she has extensive experience in commercial tour operations and 
contributes to major tourism development projects funded by the European Commission, USAID, 
the UK Department for International Development and others.

Apolonia  Rodrigues  is  the  President  of  Genuineland,  the  creator  and  coordinator  of  Dark  Sky 
Alqueva, the coordinator of the European Network of Places of Peace and a tourism expert in sus-
tainability, indicators, product development and destination management.

Florian  Tögel  is  German  and  holds  a  Master’s  degree  in  Sustainable  Tourism  Management.  As 
Head of Audit and Certification at TourCert, he has been involved in various revision processes of 
sustainable  tourism  standards  as  well  as  in  the  development  of  a  destination  certification  pro-
gramme in Germany.

Mara Manente is the Director of the International Centre of Studies on Tourism Economics (CISET) 
of the University Ca’ Foscari in Venice. She has been teaching tourism economics and regional eco-
nomics at the University of Venice and is also the author of many articles and books, as well as 
of the Manual on tourism economics used in many Italian universities. She is a member of the 
Association internationale des experts de sciences touristiques (AIEST) and of the World Tourism 
Organisation Steering Committee on Statistics and Macroeconomic Analysis of Tourism and Tour-
ism Satellite Accounts.

Cecile Rousset is the CEO and start-up founder of VivoVenetia as well as an international tourism 
consultant. She is a professional with 10 years of international experience in sustainable tourism 
management and planning for NGOs and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as for local 
administration.

The European Tourism Indicator System

27

Luca Santarossa is an Italian spatial planner focusing on protected areas planning and manage-
ment. A 20-year-long job experience in policies and initiatives related with socioeconomic aspects 
of the environmental field, at national and international level, especially dealing with natural pro-
tected areas and sustainable tourism. He currently works for the Italian organisation Federparchi.

Professor Dirk Reiser is a lecturer for sustainable tourism management at the Rhine-Waal Uni-
versity of Applied Sciences in Cleves, Germany. He has worked in tourism in a variety of countries 
including Australia, Germany, Indonesia and New Zealand. His particular fields of interest include 
sustainable tourism, destination management, CSR in tourism and wildlife tourism.

Additional members of the ETIS pool of experts contributing to the revision of the ETIS are Profes-
sor Nadia Theuma and Ms Petra Bollich.

European Commission ETIS Team

The work of the pool of experts for the ETIS implementation was coordinated by Cinzia De Marzo, 
a Seconded National Expert at the European Commission in the Tourism Unit from 2012 to 2016. 
She is a lawyer specialised in European Union and economic law, with over 20 years of experience 
in sustainable tourism management. She is qualified as a PM4SD (project manager for sustainable 
development) and certified by APMG international.

HOW TO OBTAIN EU PUBLICATIONS

Free publications:

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via EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu);

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(*)  The information given is free, as are most calls (though some operators, phone boxes or hotels may charge you).

Priced publications:

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