Linking Culture and the Environment

110 WWF Arctic Tourism Guidelines Initiative
Other possible evaluation options for operator involvement discussed at
various points included operator self-assessment, client assessment and a
panel review (see Johnston and Twynam, 1998). For a variety of reasons, external
evaluation of compliance with codes should accompany self-assessment
(Enzenbacher, 1998; Mason and Mowforth, 1996). Drawing on research on the
compliance of Antarctic tour operators with visitor guidelines, Enzenbacher
(1998) recommends the creation of a new monitoring body for this initiative
that would evaluate operator behaviour, coordinate the collection of data and
provide information and advice. Operators would be able to become members
of this organization, though it would monitor all operators in the Arctic.
Enzenbacher (1998) recommends a number of specific mechanisms in this
system including a voluntary reporting form, ship-borne observers for cruise
tourism and public recognition or other rewards for good practice. Johnston
and Twynam (1998) recommend a variety of complementary approaches to
assessment, including operator checklists, site visits, client surveys and the
use of community or broad-level indicators. They recommend awards be used
to recognize good practice and implementation of the programme.
The proposal by Johnston and Twynam identifies the ten principles and
subcategories as key expectations about the attributes of sustainable Arctic
tourism operations, stating that these can be considered the indicators of
achievement. These indicators can be measured on the basis of required
actions. A discussion of the use of managerial indicators for planning and
managing sustainable tourism is available in a report by Consulting and
Audit Canada (1995), titled: What Tourism Managers Need To Know: A Practical
Guide to the Development and Use of Indicators of Sustainable Tourism. The
Johnston and Twynam (1998) proposal is directed at operational indicators,
i.e. those attributes of the experience that can be controlled individually by
operators. These indicators can be evaluated using specific measures outlined
as actions to be taken during tourism operations or as components of
an operator’s environmental plan.
The form that monitoring will take in this initiative remains unclear.
A comprehensive system that encourages operator participation is vital, as is
one that is flexible and allows for the tremendous variety and distinction
within the Arctic region and the Arctic tourism industry. The following section
examines some of the issues related to implementing this sustainable
tourism initiative, including introducing operators to the programme, establishing
baseline information about operators and developing appropriate
questionnaires.
Nunavut Case Study: an Attempt To Gather Baseline Data
As sustainable tourism principles become more refined and more widely
practised in various parts of the world, assessment of their use in different
settings is vital. Evaluating the principles and practice is important in two
ways: first, such evaluation can provide baseline behaviour data in advance
of the implementation of a principle-based programme; and second, it can
indicate the effectiveness of the programme after implementation. The pur-