Course Content
Unit 1 – Digitalisation as a sustainability lever
Objective: Build a shared understanding of what digitalisation means for sustainable destination management and how to connect tools to measurable outcomes. Skill developed: Digital sustainability literacy + outcome/KPI thinking.
0/3
Digitalisation for tourism sustainability — From tools to measurable impact
10:53
“4-Lever Mapping Canvas” – Interactive activity
Tools vs Outcomes
00:20:00
Unit 2 – Data, monitoring systems, and ESG-ready indicators
Objective: Enable learners to set up a minimum viable monitoring approach and translate sustainability goals into measurable KPIs and data routines. Skill developed: Data management & indicator thinking + monitoring readiness.
0/3
Data, monitoring systems, and ESG-ready indicators
Practical Exercise: KPI Card Builder
Data Readiness Quiz
00:20:00
Unit 3 – Digital visitor flow management & smart mobility
Objective: Train learners to apply digital tools to reduce pressure, improve experience, and support low-impact mobility choices at the destination level. Skill developed: Applied visitor management + behavioural design (nudging) + mobility planning basics.
0/2
Digital visitor flow management & smart mobility
Flow & Mobility Matching Quiz
00:20:00
08 Digitalisation for Tourism Sustainability

Map a Destination Challenge to a Digital Sustainability Solution

In this activity, you will explore how digitalisation can support sustainable destination management. You will choose one common destination challenge and map it to a relevant digitalisation lever, a suitable tool family, and one or more measurable KPIs.

The goal is to understand how digital tools should not be selected randomly. They should respond to a real destination need and be connected to clear, measurable outcomes.

Instructions for Learners

Step 1: Choose a Destination Challenge

Select one challenge that your destination is facing or could face.

Choose from:

1. Crowding
Too many visitors are concentrated in the same place or at the same time, creating pressure on infrastructure, local communities, natural areas, or the visitor experience.

2. Water/Energy Stress
Tourism activity increases the use of water and energy, especially during peak seasons, creating pressure on local resources.

3. Waste
Tourism generates waste that is difficult to monitor, reduce, or manage effectively, especially in busy periods or high-traffic areas.

4. Low Visitor Awareness
Visitors may not be aware of sustainable behaviours, local rules, cultural expectations, or low-impact choices available at the destination.

Step 2: Select the Most Relevant Digitalisation Lever

Choose the lever that best fits your selected challenge.

Data
Use this lever when the main need is to collect, monitor, analyse, or visualise information for better decision-making.

Resources
Use this lever when the challenge is related to water, energy, emissions, waste, or other resource-use pressures.

Flows & Mobility
Use this lever when the challenge is related to visitor movement, crowding, access, transport, seasonality, or peak-time pressure.

Trust-first Communication
Use this lever when the challenge is related to awareness, transparency, responsible behaviour, visitor guidance, or credible sustainability communication.

Step 3: Choose a Tool Family

Select a digital tool family that could help address the challenge.

Dashboards
Useful for monitoring key data such as visitor numbers, resource use, satisfaction, or environmental pressure.

Calculators
Useful for estimating impacts such as carbon emissions, water use, energy use, or waste generation.

Reservation / Timed Entry Systems
Useful for managing visitor numbers, reducing peak-time pressure, and spreading demand across time slots.

Nudges
Useful for encouraging visitors to make more sustainable choices through prompts, reminders, recommendations, or default options.

Eco-travel Apps
Useful for guiding visitors toward low-impact transport, local routes, responsible experiences, and sustainable services.

Tracking / Sensor Tools
Useful for collecting real-time or near-real-time data on visitor flows, congestion, mobility patterns, or environmental pressure.

Visitor Surveys
Useful for collecting feedback on satisfaction, awareness, behaviour, mobility choices, and perceived crowding.

Step 4: Select KPI(s)

Choose one or more KPIs that would help measure whether your selected tool is creating a sustainability impact.

Suggested KPIs:

For Crowding

  • Number of visitors per area or site
  • Peak-time visitor density
  • Average waiting time
  • Visitor satisfaction score
  • Distribution of visits across time slots
  • Distribution of visits across locations

For Water/Energy Stress

  • Water use per visitor/night
  • Energy use per visitor/night
  • Percentage reduction in water consumption
  • Percentage reduction in energy consumption
  • Carbon emissions per visitor/night
  • Share of businesses reporting resource-use data

For Waste

  • Waste generated per visitor/night
  • Recycling rate
  • Percentage reduction in single-use items
  • Waste collection frequency in high-pressure areas
  • Share of tourism operators using waste tracking tools

For Low Visitor Awareness

  • Percentage of visitors reached by sustainability messages
  • Visitor awareness score
  • Engagement rate with sustainability content
  • Number of eco-travel app users
  • Percentage of visitors choosing low-impact options
  • Visitor satisfaction with sustainability information
Previous
Next