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TO U R I S M D  E V E L O P M E N T I  N D E X

ORITY ON

D2

RI

RE

TH

EF

S FOR HEAL

What

What Is It?

BENCHMARK

As with the Coastal Development Index, the Tourism

Establish TDI values for each MAR

Development Index (TDI) is a proposed quantitative

country.

indicator of the growth or contraction of tourism as

TA R G E T

an economic activity. The TDI is calculated for each

tourism zone (an area of tourism activity as defined

Maintain regional or country-level TDI

by the tourism agencies of each country) within the

values

values between 0 and 70.

MAR region.

RED FL AG

Why Do We Measure It?

TDI values < 71.

Tourism is the fastest growing industry in the MAR

region4. Even conservation strategies often incorporate

tourism activities as alternative livelihoods to fishing.

· Hotel occupancy rates -- provides an indication of

the balance between tourism infrastructure supply

The linkages between unsustainable tourism and

and demand;

environmental degradation are well known. Tourism

impacts are generated by two main factors: (a)

· Annually averaged, daily monetary expenditure by

the sheer volume of tourists that utilize various

tourists (both overnight and cruise tourists) -- a

destinations, and (b) tourism-related infrastructure.

parameter that is normally sensitive to the tourism

Both factors can cause major damage to the physical

development cycle and overall environmental

environment.

quality; and

Even activities that may be considered "low-impact"

· Annual cruise ship arrivals -- a measure of the

have an accumulative destructive effect -- due not to

overall magnitude and type of tourism visitation in

intensity, but to frequency as tourist numbers grow.

the tourism zone.

Likewise, the installation of tourism infrastructure (in

the form of hotels, resorts, roads, trails and docks) can

Together, these five variables capture the major

produce severe alterations in the land- and seascape.

dimensions of change in tourism growth patterns and

These alterations in turn directly impact the marine

local dependence on tourism. All are weighted equally

environment.

within the index.

The Tourism Development Index is intended to provide

Scores range from zero, which indicates no tourism,

a comprehensive measure of the magnitude of tourism

to 100+. Values close to or over 100 indicate a region

in a given area, in a form that can be correlated with

with a very high level of tourism dependence and

other indicators.

development.

How Do We Measure It?

The index scores will be compared to a reference

or baseline year set of values (to be established) to

The TDI is a function of five major variables, each

determine relative change in tourism development

calculated at the municipal level:

pressure.

· Ratio of the average number of daily, non-resident,

Usefulness

overnight tourist visitors to the number of residents

in the local population -- measures the overall

The Tourism Development Index provides a composite

magnitude of tourism visitation relative to local

measure of the level of potential demand by outsiders

population;

(tourists) for the use of natural resources within the

tourist area. In general, the higher the TDI score, the

· Number of hotel rooms per km of coastline --

greater the degree of tourism development, which

provides an indication of tourism infrastructure

can be translated into increasing environmental

supply and also an idea of coastal pressure exerted

degradation.

by tourism development;

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