Handbook of applied research tools for sustainable tourism: A guide for practitioners

Currently in development, this comprehensive Handbook plans to bring together practical advice from leading international practitioners in sustainable tourism. This guidance is not intended as a guide for long-term academic projects, but instead applies good research design principles within the parameters of modest timeframes and resources, to provide workable and rational step-by-step approaches to researching real-life challenges.

The book’s contributors will unpack how to undertake environmental, socio-cultural and economic assessments that establish the feasibility for new tourism ventures, or ascertain what impacts they have had over time. The book will cover the fundamentals for practitioners, such as how to conduct feasibility studies and business plans, and also addresses hot topics such as visitor management and overcrowding, carbon offsets for travellers, and also standards and certification.

This Handbook is envisaged for use by researchers at all levels, and particularly to those working within government institutions responsible for tourism and private tourism businesses. It is also intended also an invaluable resource for practitioners, not-for-profit organizations and consultants that provide technical support in the planning, feasibility, development, operation and evaluation of sustainable tourism.

The book will form part of a new Research Handbooks in Tourism series.

Working Table of Contents

Part 1: Planning and designing sustainable tourism
Policy and strategy development
Tourism master planning for destinations
Commercialization strategies for protected areas
Feasibility studies & business plans for new lodging facilities
Funding proposals for new tourism ventures
Planning for optimal local involvement in tourism and partnership development
Sustainable architecture and landscape design
Predicting returns on investment
Environmental and social impact assessments
Establishing indicators for sustainable tourism

Part 2: Enhancing the sustainability of existing tourism
Supply chain analysis
Value chain analysis
Environmental audits and interventions
Establishing sustainability standards
Market research on the demand for sustainable tourism
Use of the Delphi consultation approach for complex issues

Part 3: Balancing overtourism and undertourism: Visitor management in practice Visitor Use Management Framework
Limits of Acceptable Change
Visitor capacity & overtourism
Willingness to Pay
Carbon offsetting for travellers

Part 4: Monitoring and evaluation
Visitor counting and surveys
Economic impact assessment approaches
Case study research
Social and cultural impact assessment
Tourism certification audits
Knowledge transfer

Part 5: Conclusion