Ecosystem sustainability and resource-based tourism : linkages and indicators

Abstract

The landscape of northern Ontario provides an ideal setting for resource-based tourism and, in recent years, the focus on tourism has increased due to the popularity of outdoor recreation and the notion that tourism can increase community sustainability. Resource-based tourism is based on a wide range of activities which are both consumptive and non-consumptive. As an industry, tourism can have significant impacts on natural, physical or social environments and it is important that the industry be managed sustainably. Currently, there is no generally accepted approach for examining the sustainability of the resource-based tourism industry and ensuring that resources are managed in the interests of future generations. The international forestry and tourism industries have adopted the concept of sustainability indicators. Their initiatives provide guidance for the development of a regional framework for resource-based tourism. Through a workshop and mail survey, members of the Northern Ontario Tourism Outfitters Association (NOTO) identified values that they believe are essential to the sustainability of resource-based tourism. This input, combined with data collected through a literature review, was utilized to develop a suite of indicators of sustainable resource-based tourism. An evaluation of each indicator was conducted and a revised framework of 23 indicators reflecting on ecological, economic and social values is presented. The framework will be useful to resource managers and the tourism industry.