Tourism has become an important sector of the global economy, and its contribution to job creation, economic growth and poverty reduction is increasingly recognized. Despite the severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector has showcased remarkable resilience and adaptability in the face of unprecedented challenges.

Unlocking the Potential of Tourism Through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

When properly managed, tourism has been widely acknowledged as a crucial driver in achieving the SDGs, particularly due to its role in promoting inclusive growth, environmental protection, and the development of peaceful and resilient societies. The potential of tourism extends beyond the three SDG targets in which the sector is featured: Target 8.9, which aims to “by 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products”; target 12.b, which aims to “develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes culture and products”; and target 14.7 which by 2030 aims to “increase the economic benefits to Small Island Developing States and least developed countries”.

To effectively harness this potential, there is a pressing need for a systematic approach to measure the impact of tourism projects in a harmonized and objective manner, as well as fostering a common understanding on how the sector can most effectively contribute to the SDGs. _Achieving the SDGs through Tourism – Toolkit of Indicators for Projects (TIPs) _addresses these needs by providing guidance to users including project managers on how to better align tourism development with the SDGs.

The Toolkit serves to be a practical resource for users interested in developing tourism projects that are in line with the SDGs. However, it does not intend to provide an exhaustive and exclusive set of tourism project-based indicators. Moreover, it serves as a valuable learning and training material.

Using the Toolkit

The Toolkit is composed of two parts:

• Part I: Introducing the Toolkit – a user guide; and
• Part II: Tourism-related SDGs targets and potential indicators.

Part I of the Toolkit explores the rationale for having indicators and provides a brief explanation of what the toolkit contains and how tourism related SDGs targets were selected. It gives an overview of how the present work positions among the several existing systems and frameworks catering for tourism and sustainable development. It describes why project-based indicators are necessary and explains how they can help tourism project managers better track progress towards the achievement of the SDGs. The Toolkit also provides guidance on how to use the project-based indicators effectively within the project cycle.

Part II of the Toolkit is structured into 17 chapters, each dedicated to a specific SDG. Each chapter explains the link between the specific SDG and tourism. It then provides an overview of the selected SDG targets, their relevance to tourism and presents potential indicators which are categorized under different themes and sub-themes. The potential indicators are designed to be adaptable to suit the reality of each project, enabling users to effectively work towards achieving the identified SDG targets.

Mapping Our Path to 2030: A Shared Roadmap for Sustainable Development

By embracing and clearly understanding the different targets of the SDGs through the lens of tourism, this Toolkit aims to enhance awareness of the SDGs at the local, national and international levels. It encourages the widespread utilization and adaptation of the indicators to tourism projects to strengthen the position of sustainable tourism in public policies, financing frameworks and business operations. This will further enhance the positive impact of tourism on realizing the 2030 Agenda and beyond, ensuring that tourism continues to play a central role in promoting a more sustainable and inclusive future for all.

1. Background
2. Why this Toolkit is Needed
3. How to Use the Toolkit
4. SDG 1: End Poverty in All its Forms Everywhere
5. SDG 2: End Hunger, Achieve Food Security and Improved Nutrition and Promote Sustainable Agriculture
6. SDG 3: Ensure Healthy Lives and Promote Well-Being for All at All Ages
7. SDG 4: Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All
8. SDG 5: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower All Women and Girls
9. SDG 6: Ensure Availability and Sustainable Management of Water and Sanitation for All
10. SDG 7: Ensure Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable and Modern Energy for All
11. SDG 8: Promote Sustained, Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Growth, Full and Productive Employment and Decent Work for All
12. SDG 9: Build Resilient Infrastructure, Promote Inclusive and Sustainable Industrialisation and Foster Innovation
13. SDG 10: Reduce Inequality Within and Among Countries
14. SDG 11: Make Cities and Human Settlements Inclusive, Safe, Resilient and Sustainable
15. SDG 12: Ensure Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns
16. SDG 13: Take Urgent Action to Combat Climate Change and Its Impacts
17. SDG 14: Conserve and Sustainably Use the Oceans, Seas, and Marine Resources for Sustainable Development
18. SDG 15: Protect, Restore, and Promote Sustainable Use of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Sustainably Manage Forests, Combat Desertification, and Halt and Reverse Land Degradation and Halt BiodiversityLoss
19. SDG 16: Promote Peaceful and Inclusive Societies for Sustainable Development, Provide Access to Justice for All and Build Effective, Accountable, And Inclusive Institutions At All Levels
20. SDG 17: Strengthen the Means of Implementation and Revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development