Measuring the sustainability of island tourism

Abstract

The research discussed in this paper looks for an appropriate instrument to evaluate the sustainability of island tourism, taking economic, socio-cultural and ecological aspects into account. Multiple indicator models are suggested by literature such as the Barometer of Tourism Sustainability (BTS) model or the ecological footprint as an indicator of tourism sustainability. Based on a thorough literature review in combination with some further research an indicator index was constructed. Through this indicator index the sustainability of tourism was evaluated for five islands (Cuba, Cyprus, Mauritius, New-Zealand and Sri Lanka). Results show that these islands still have a long way to go to reach a sustainable tourism. Our research showed that aviation is an important factor for tourism sustainability since a large part of tourism’s negative ecological impact is due to air transport. A case study about ‘Sustainable Aviation’ assesses the potential of various alternative fuels for airplanes.