A CANADIAN STUDY OF INDICATORS RELATING TO
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
AND ECOTOURISM:
THE CASE STUDY OF
NORTHERN CAPE BRETON
Denisa Georgescu, Canadian Tourism Commission and
Per Nilsen, Parks Canada
The 7 th International Forum on Tourism Statistics
Stockholm, June 9-11, 2004

Project Purpose:
To alleviate the confusion between ecotourism and sustainable tourism.
Objectives:
• To clarify the relationship between sustainable tourism and ecotourism using a case study built on an indicators development process;
• To test the utility of a participatory process to develop indicators of sustainability.

• Founders: the Canadian Tourism Commission and
Parks Canada
• Consultants: Consulting and
Audit Canada
• Stakeholders:
Local tourism operators
NGO’s
Cape Breton Highland National Park
Provincial Government
Regional/Municipal Organizations

Task One:
Task Two:
Task Three:
Task Four:
Task Five:
Task Six:
Task Seven:
Methodological Definition
Destination Selection
Pre-workshop Site Study
Workshop Organization
Workshop Facilitation
Analysis
Conclusions and Recommendations

Task One: Methodological Definition
What is the relationship between sustainable tourism and ecotourism?
Sustainable Tourism: “development that meets the needs of present tourists and hosts regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems”
(World Tourism Organization).

Task One: Methodological Definition – cont.
Ecotourism (first coined by Hector Caballos-Lascurian in 1983):
“tourism that consists in travelling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated areas with the specific objective of studying, admiring, and enjoying the scenery and its wild plants and animals as well as any existent cultural manifestations found in these areas”.

Task One: Methodological Definition – cont.
Ecotourism as a Sustainable Tourism Concept

Task Two: Destination Selection
Criteria
• Size & location
• Mix and range of tourism
• Proximity to stakeholders
• Destination popularity
• Parks Canada presence and support
• Utility/contribution to ongoing work

• Examination of current natural and cultural assets
• No integrated planning organization
• Opportunity for conducting workshops:
Identification of stakeholder values
Identification of sources of information for indicators
Identification of workshop participants

Date: October 8 and 9, 2003
Location: Ingonish, Cape Breton
Objectives:
• To identify key issues relevant to sustainable tourism and ecotourism
• To develop a short list of practical indicators to measure impact of tourism

• Identification of main risks to values
• Development of long list of potential indicators and responses
• Management of collaborative process to determine priority indicators
• Preliminary validation

• Threats to ecosystem
• Protection of key assets from overuse/ abuse
• Pollution
• Perception of limited opportunities
• Image as a summer driving destination
• Loss of access to traditional areas of use (National Park)
• Infrastructure
• Sustained vs. seasonal employment
• Willingness to invest given location

SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Physical beauty and variety
Intact natural systems
Proximity to US market (northeast)
Picturesque houses and boats
Low Canadian dollar value
Cultural distinctness
Friendliness of community
Presence of formally protected land
Opportunities
Weaknesses
Short summer season
Position at “end of line”
Lack of some infrastructure /services
Image as drive-by destination
High turnover rate/retention of staff
For ecotourism, lack of longer, more challenging, hiking trails
Lack of directed tourism management plans
Threats
Integrated marketing of sustainable product(s)
Better coordination of planning, marketing, product development
Lengthening of the season and length of stay of visitors
Coordinated protection of key assets to mutual benefit
Uncontrolled influx of more tourists or tourists seeking inappropriate experiences
Damage to ecosystem from misuse
Resentment from communities due to lack of benefits or due to impact on key community values
Deterioration of key infrastructure

• Physical beauty and variety
• Intact natural systems
• Proximity to US market (northeast)
• Picturesque houses and boats
• Low Canadian dollar value
• Cultural distinctness
• Friendliness of community Presence of formally protected land

• Short summer season
• Position at “end of line”
• Lack of some infrastructure /services
• Image as drive-by destination
• High turnover rate/retention of staff
• For ecotourism, lack of longer, more challenging, hiking trails
• Lack of directed tourism management plans

• Integrated marketing of sustainable product(s);
• Better coordination of planning, marketing, product development;
• Lengthening of the season and length of stay of visitors;
• Coordinated protection of key assets to mutual benefit

• Uncontrolled influx of more tourists or tourists seeking inappropriate experiences
• Damage to ecosystem from misuse
• Resentment from communities due to lack of benefits or due to impact on key community values
• Deterioration of key infrastructure

Key Issues and Indicators for North Cape Breton (NCB)
A)Control of Environmental Impacts:
• Perception of level of cleanliness of areas frequented by tourists (measure: survey of tourists and locals’ perception of beach contamination);
• Clean image of the region (measure: exit questionnaires)
• Water quality in beach/river/stream areas (measure: laboratory analysis by sampling);
• Environmental practices and attitudes of tourists
(measure: entrance or exit surveys).

Key Issues and Indicators for North Cape Breton (NCB)
B) Economic Benefits to the Region:
• Employment Statistics (measure: total number and the % from census and EI sources);
• Amount spent per day per tourist (by season as well)
(measure: exit questionnaires).
C) Marketing the Region:
• Opinion of quality/value (measure: survey of tourists re:quality of accommodation);
• Price of accommodation (measure: average cost/night);
• Repeat visits to same accommodation (measure: numbers and %)

Key Issues and Indicators for North Cape Breton (NCB)
D) Community Impacts:
• Local attitudes and perception on tourism benefits or non-benefits) (measure: survey of residents-specific questions re: attitude towards tourists);
E) Infrastructure:
• Road condition;
• Percentage of pull-offs per km of highway;
• Length of maintained trail system

Effectiveness of Indicators Selection Process
Partially successful
• Did not succeed in focusing on clarifying the difference between ecotourism and sustainable tourism
• No focus on indicators of environmental awareness or education
• Indicators linked to priority regional issue areas
• Focused on ecological and economic aspects
• Need locally-based, specific management objectives to guide indicator selection process

• Pre-workshop meetings
• Combination of plenary plus small working group sessions
• Expertise & experience of third party consultants
• Location/participation of stakeholders
• Discovery of common objectives by disparate groups
• Provides a basis for park management plan update and tourism regional strategic plan

Agreement on 7 Keys Issue Areas:
• Control of environmental impact
• Economic benefits to region
• Marketing the region
• Stability and Seasonality
• Community Impacts
• Planning and Control
• Infrastructure

Task Seven: Recommendations – cont.
• Coordinating body representing stakeholders from Northern Cape Breton required that could lead to:
- tourism strategy development
- improved interagency coordination and cooperation
- integrated management
- reconciling of conflicting resource issues
( UNEP Principles for Sustainable Tourism
)

Task Seven: Conclusion
• The relationship between ecotourism and sustainable tourism is difficult to define;
• There is little agreement on the exact definitions and applications of these terms.
• The United Nations Environmental Programme
(UNEP) argues that all forms of tourism and related activities should incorporate the principles of sustainable development (economic, environmental and social)

georgescu.denisa@ctc-cct.ca