The Global Sustainable Tourism Dashboard, a joint project between researchers at Griffith University and the University of Surrey, has received a major face-lift, enabling it to better inform researchers and travellers with interactive insights about destinations around the world.
Launched in January following the declaration of 2017 as the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development, the Dashboard builds on data provided through the World Travel and Tourism Council, Amadeus and EarthCheck, among other organisations, and incorporates knowledge from established initiatives such as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and the International Tourism Partnership.
Employing a newly implemented Power BI interface created in partnership with Acclario Digital, users are able to explore visual data on topics including Poverty Alleviation, Dispersion of Travel, Carbon Emissions, Sustainable Production, Protected Areas, Gender Equity and Security.
Though the platform was designed more for decision makers than with the average tourist in mind, Griffith Institute for Tourism Director Professor Susanne Becken said, “The discerning traveller may well find it useful to see the kinds of impacts or benefits that stem from tourism.”
The Dashboard incorporates a set of indicators that provide valuable information on progress against the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Information provided through the Dashboard also aligns with the UN’s 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) on Sustainable Consumption and Production.
“For example, it is now possible to examine just how much money is spent by Tourism in least-developed countries and how this changes over time,” Professor Becken said. “At the same time, we can see the amount of carbon emissions generated from air travel to and from each country.
“Another interesting data set is on terrorism and the types of attacks that occurred on tourism over time and in different countries.”
The new platform is highly flexible and quickly creates the visual reports in response to users’ needs and researchers’ new insights. It also allows for better drilling down into national and destination-focused Dashboards.
The changes to the interface help the Dashboard provide authoritative information and user-friendly access to the most comprehensive data on tourism, allowing commercial and academic decision-makers the means to further improve global tourism practices.
Find out more by visiting the Global Sustainable Tourism Dashboard here.
