Tourism investment & finance 21 Unit 2: Evaluate Investment Environment

Indicator 
Example 
Potential Sources of 
Information
•
Socio-cultural 
impacts
Social services available to 
community (% derived from tourism 
activities) 
•
Government agencies
(US examples) 
o
Environmental Protection 
Agency
o
Census Bureau
o
Bureau of Economic 
Affairs
o
Bureau of Labor Statistics
o
Dept. of Housing and 
Urban Development
•
Non-governmental 
organizations
•
School systems
•
Health officials
•
Town clerks
•
Department of Public Works
•
Environmental regulatory 
agencies
•
Planning commissions 
•
Direct observation 
•
Stakeholder perceptions 
•
Universities
•
Environmental 
impacts
Terrestrial flora and fauna health 
index based upon periodic surveys 
of tour operators, local communities 
and experts 
•
Economic impacts 
Ratio of income attributable to 
tourism vs. non-tourism income-
generating activities
•
 Performance 
indicators
Tourism employment relative to total 
in region; tourism wages; revenues 
generated by tourism, GDP and % 
tourism’s contribution — national and 
regional level
A country’s tourism satellites accounts provide statistical economic data measuring the relative 
size and importance of the travel and tourism industry. As an international standard, the 
accounts report accumulated effects from accommodations, food and beverage establishments, 
and air transportation across multiple industries into national economic accounts. These 
comprehensive and comparable tourism-specific data can measure backward and forward 
linkages and contributions to GDP, tourism exports, imports, etc.
One challenge inhibiting investors from implementing sustainable tourism is the lack of data 
regarding the investment impact. Social and environmental impacts are difficult to quantify and 
often have long-term positive effects not easily measured immediately.

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TOURISM INVESTMENT & FINANCE
83 
ANDE has incorporated IRIS into its measurement of overall performance of investments. 
Transparent and consistent metrics of investments in emerging markets is critical to increase 
public awareness of positive benefits and barriers encountered by investments. The IRIS 
framework currently consists of six parts.
1.