Summary.
attention to tourist activity emerges imperiously, motivated by the inescapable weight and influence that this sector has on the economy, society and ecology at the national level. This research has been conceived to provide practical assistance to tourism administrators, specifically the extra-hotel network, and at the same time encourage them to use indicators as a basic component of sustainable development in their entities.
The aforementioned constitutes the fundamental reason that led to the need to define a series of sustainable development indicators to evaluate the activity of three facilities of the Palmares Cienfuegos Extra-hotel Company, Cuba, which are capable at the same time, of systematically characterizing and evaluating the tendency towards the sustainability of the units of the Cienfuegos extra-hotel network taking into account their local peculiarities, in order to increase the eco-efficiency of the units under study.
Introduction:
Tourism is one of the driving motors of development in the world. Each year, more people join this service than ever before in history, so with precise planning and management, it can be a positive force that brings benefits to different destinations. But if such work is deficient and is carried out in violation of safety and sustainability standards, it can undoubtedly constitute a factor of degradation. Therefore, it is obviously convenient for the tourism sector to maintain and sustain the base of its prosperity by living in harmony with its present and future environment, becoming an important milestone for the successful development not only of tourist destinations, but also for the ecosystems, natural heritage and, in short, for the planet and society as a whole.
The present work, which has as its guiding thread the Practical Guide to Sustainable Development Indicators, prepared by the World Tourism Organization, promotes the use of indicators as a fundamental instrument for improvement. planning and management, to provide managers with the information they need in a way that will support better decision-making.
For its part, the general objective of the research is to evaluate the behavior of the sustainable development indicators in three facilities of the Palmares Cienfuegos Extra-hotel Company, then the need arises to carry out a critical analysis of the main sustainable development indicators that characterize non-hotel facilities at a global and regional level, thus defining the main indicators of sustainable development that must be taken into account in the non-hotel units Costa Sur, Delfinario and Club Cienfuegos according to local characteristics, in addition to diagnosing said indicators for the target facilities study and propose appropriate measures with a view to achieving eco-efficiency in their activities.To reach the results, it was necessary to use the techniques of document review and analysis, visual observation and interviews.
Development
Studies related to the tourism sector in the territory of Cienfuegos have been developed for a decade by economic entities that sought to improve their development to achieve regional economic integration of an intersectoral nature, financing and planning of regional tourism policy, since it It includes dimensions of an economic, social, cultural, educational and, in particular, ethical order.
The Cienfuegos region with its tourist potential every day proves to be a territory that incorporates tourism as the key sector for its development within its economic scheme. Therefore, it is necessary to assess and coordinate in the resource exploitation processes, the sectoral responsibilities so as not to derive in planning that only manages to mark guidelines not developed in detailed territorial scales, for which all studies of tourism demand-supply deserve to be reviewed. to describe and diagnose an increasingly diversified and complex tourism reality.
In the process of formulating spatial planning plans, a procedure should be enabled for those responsible for tourism policy in the area to formulate a tourism development model supported by concepts and desirable components for the competitiveness of local tourism products on the basis of respect for physical and territorial planning to achieve a "new" concept of tourism in the territory, responding to ecological and territorial respect, to the coordination between the different agencies involved, to the proper management of the regional policies outlined to seek integration and management of the local society.
In favor of this consideration, the MINTUR in the territory has set the strategic objective of causing a qualitative and quantitative leap in a stable and dynamic way that allows reaching upward income from the strengthening of investment activity in correspondence with the trends of the issuing markets, setting as global goals, consolidate tourism development.
Thus, the development that tourism activity gradually reaches based on the potential of natural resources and the historical-cultural characteristics of the country are turning it into an important sphere of the economy, both for its potential source of income and for its possibilities to boost other activities. economic activities.
Therefore, the development of tourist activity in the territory has a notable effect on urban development, enhances the landscape and natural spaces and, in addition, generates demands for territorial infrastructures that offer opportunities of a more global nature. This panel of incidents can finally materialize in a positive or negative effect depending on the physical arrangement and the regulation of uses.
As a result of the MINTUR reorganization process, the Palmares Cienfuegos Extra-hotel Company emerged in December 2004, as a result of the unification of the old companies: Grupo de Recreación y Turismo Rumbos SA, Compañía de Restaurantes y Cafeterías Palmares SA and the Agencia de Represtaciones Turisticas Cubasol; determining that the new Company assume the implementation of the Business Improvement that Rumbos had been applying.
The Palmares Cienfuegos Extra-hotel Company is dedicated to satisfying the recreation and leisure needs of international tourism through optional and extra-hotel and accommodation activities, sports, ecological, entertainment-recreational and cultural in general, as well as offering offers to national tourism, with quality, professionalism, reliability and efficiency
To determine the units to be evaluated, a meeting was held with the Director of Operations of the Palmares Cienfuegos Extra-hotel Company, Lic. Miguel Alfonso, and Directors of several UEBs, in order to combine the interests of both parties interested in the investigation. Here are the reasons why choose the Costa Sur, Delfinario and Club Cienfuegos facilities, which are presented in the following relationship:
- To assess the environmental and sustainability situation. To support the insertion process to the Environmental Recognition System. Because these three units are the ones with the greatest weight in the economic results of the Company.
To establish the indicators to be taken into account to evaluate the sustainable development in facilities of the Palmares Cienfuegos Extra-hotel Company, the Practical Guide of Sustainable Development Indicators for tourist destinations published by the UNWTO (2005), as well as the Manual of Procedures for Trainers in Sustainable Tourism of the ACS (2004). It is important to point out that for the determination of some indicators, it was necessary to make some adjustments and adaptations to the methodologies established in these documents, because they are fundamentally designed to be applied in tourist destinations and hotels; and the work in question refers specifically to extra-hotel facilities, giving rise to the novelty of this investigation.
The indicators are framed in three dimensions:
- The Patrimonial Dimension: it covers everything concerning the natural environment and the cultural environment. The Economic Dimension: referred to the management of tourism marketing, material and financial resources. The Social Dimension: it concerns the man and his life, the relationships that he establishes, the quality of life, employment and others linked to tourism development.
The Ethical Dimension can be incorporated by working at the local scale. It encompasses community participation, transparency, solidarity and agreement among all the actors of the destination. In the same way, these aspects can be included in the Social Dimension, the important thing is that they are considered at the time of reflection.
2.1- Planned use and users of the indicators.
In the last decade, a great deal of work has been done to clarify key issues regarding the sustainability of tourism and how indicators can support better decision-making and action. Increasingly, the development and use of these instruments is considered a fundamental part of the planning and general management of destinations and an integral element of the activities to promote a sustainable development of the tourism sector at all levels.
Some of the advantages of having good indicators are the following:
1. Improved decision-making - reduced risks or costs.
2. Detection of emerging problems - possibility of prevention.
3. Identification of impacts - possibility of taking corrective measures if necessary.
4. Evaluation of the results of the implementation of plans and the implementation of management activities - evaluation of the progress made on the path towards a sustainable development of tourism.
5. Reduction of the risk of committing errors in planning - determination of limits and opportunities.
6. Increased accountability - providing accurate information to the public and other industry stakeholders encourages accountability and its prudent use in decision-making.
7. Constant vigilance can allow continuous improvement - incorporation of solutions into management.
While the UNWTO Practical Guide to Sustainable Development Indicators for Tourism Destinations is intended primarily for the entity in charge of destination management (usually the local authority), it can also be used by other organizations in the tourism sector or related to tourism. he. Destination managers or authorities are primarily responsible for the decisions made regarding many of the problems and difficulties related to the sustainable development of their destination; However, the causes of the problems and the interlocutors who will collaborate in their solution will necessarily include others, whose main interests may be centered at the local, national and even international levels.
In addition to destination managers, other potential users of the Guide include the following:
- Tourism administrations and other regional and national public authorities with the need to collect data from various sites or destinations. Tour operators, transport companies and other service providers. On-site managers of certain attractions, natural and cultural sites or protected areas, and those in charge of product development. Designers of facilities and managers of resorts, lodging establishments and other tourist establishments. Researchers and students dealing with development issues related to tourism. Members of interest groups, community organizations and host communities who wish to participate knowingly in the development of destinations. Informed tourists, who want to understand and contribute to maintaining the fundamentals of their tourism.
2.2- Measurement and expression of indicators.
In practice, indicators can only be applied if there is a viable mechanism to measure them. Finding the appropriate measures is essential in the design and use of indicators, since the collection and processing of data must be technically and economically possible. A given indicator can be measured using alternative and complementary methods (using different instruments) and described in various ways. The different means that can be used to describe indicators are as follows:
- Quantitative measurements (when comparable figures can be obtained over time): Raw data (for example, number of customers visiting a site per month, or volume of waste generated monthly or weekly). Proportions: when a set of data is related to another with which it shows a relationship. Percentage: when the data is related to a total, a reference or a previous measure (for example, percentage of wastewater that is being treated) Qualitative and normative measures: Indices: describe the status or degree of achievement against a list of classification (for example, level of protection of natural areas according to the IUCN Index). Normative indicators: they are related to the existence of certain elements of tourism management and operation (for example,existence of tourism development plans or plans with tourism components at the local, regional and national levels). Nominal indicators: they are essentially labels (Blue Flag certification, based on an extensive checklist applied independently to the management and safety of the beaches). Opinion-based indicators (for example, degree of customer or resident satisfaction with tourism or specific items). They are usually based on questionnaires and can be expressed in numbers or in percentages as indicated above. They quantify essentially qualitative data.based on an extensive checklist applied independently to the management and safety of the beaches). Opinion-based indicators (for example, degree of customer or resident satisfaction with tourism or specific items). They are usually based on questionnaires and can be expressed in numbers or in percentages as indicated above. They quantify essentially qualitative data.based on an extensive checklist applied independently to the management and safety of the beaches). Opinion-based indicators (for example, degree of customer or resident satisfaction with tourism or specific items). They are usually based on questionnaires and can be expressed in numbers or in percentages as indicated above. They quantify essentially qualitative data.
2.3- Phases of the indicator development process.
- Initial phase: research and organization.
In the initial phase, the collection of key information on the facilities, the stakeholders, the previous problems and the previous studies on which the development and application of indicators can be based is carried out. At this stage, initial contacts with experts are established. The goal is to clearly determine their current status, identify trends and potential risks, and precisely define the roles of key players before focusing on issues and indicators.
- Indicator development phase.
In this phase, the indicators that are important and can respond to the most important problems of the entities under study are defined. Information is necessary to produce and maintain indicators. The selection of indicators requires information on existing and potential sources. Two different but related basic approaches are widely used:
a) a data-driven approach that corresponds to the question what can we do with the data we have, or what problems do we have data for?
b) a problem-based (or policy) approach that corresponds to the question which problems or policy issues are most important, and how can we obtain the data needed to answer them?
In practice, the indicator development process addresses both questions and constitutes a pragmatic process, a form of negotiation between the necessary information and that generated or obtained, and on how information sources can be improved in the future. Developing practical indicators will require commitments to both needs and capabilities; Ideally, this exercise should cover elements of both approaches. The procedure suggested in this Guide applies a combination of the two, considering both political priorities (issues) and the feasibility of indicators (practical considerations of data collection and analysis). Therefore, the following is recommended:
- Starting point: identification of priority problems. When defining indicators, analysis of data sources in order to:
- be fully based on available data sources;
- identify the lack of data;
- use other measurement methodologies for immediate needs,
when data collection exceeds existing capacity;
- set goals to improve or create data sources and
processing capabilities.
- Control of the application of indicators and development of new ones, if necessary with better measurement techniques.
At this stage, an initial list of potential data sources is prepared that can be used to develop the indicators. This information is then subjected to scrutiny to facilitate the next step, namely narrowing down the long list to a narrower set of indicators. The data is rebuilt for the selected priority indicators in the next stage.
- Application phase.
The objective of this phase is to apply the indicators defined in the first two phases to the units. The ideal framework for this is a permanent monitoring and support program for the sustainable development of entities. It is essential to clearly indicate the specific means that will be used to obtain information on each indicator. The most common procedures are:
- Use of data collected by the tourism sector and other sectors (for example, direct use of data extracted from the census, sector statistics, circulation counts or files of public services companies). Creation of new global data. Creation of sample data (for example, conducting an exit survey of a percentage of customers to find out their perception). It can also lead to the extraction of data from existing statistical sources.
2.4 - Selection of the sustainable development indicators to evaluate.
According to the UNWTO Guide for evaluating sustainable development, there are Basic Questions to which indicators correspond selected based on their relevance to the issue and the relative ease with which they can be measured and understood; and which in turn are indicated by the term Basic Indicators. There is also another series of Questions and Indicators that, although they are not considered basic, are capable of providing the necessary information for the evaluation.
The Questions and Indicators to take into account in this work are shown below.
| QUESTIONS | INDICATORS |
| Energy consumption and management (Basic question) |
|
| Water Consumption (Basic Question) |
|
| Effluents and emissions
- Wastewater treatment (Basic question) - Existing noise levels and noise effects on clients and residents. |
|
| Efficiency of Solid Waste Treatment Systems (Basic Question) |
|
| Protection and hygiene at work |
|
| Use and Management of the Environment |
|
| Integration in the Local Economy |
|
| Origin of tourism employment |
|
| Economic efficiency (Basic question) |
|
| Customer Satisfaction (Basic Question) |
|
To give a quantitative evaluation to the analyzed questions, the weighting criterion was used by which it was determined to give a score from zero to five according to the percentage of indicators favorable to the installation for each question, as shown below:
In summary, it can be said that the scoring system used to evaluate the indicators of sustainable development in non-hotel facilities shows the level of effectiveness of each one with the qualification given to them.
Conclusions
- With the analysis of the SWOT Matrix, it can be concluded that the Palmares Cienfuegos Extra-hotel Company cannot make use of all the powers granted by Business Improvement, nor does it have defined Product and Communication Marketing Strategies, nor is there a correct exploitation of the potentialities of Recreation Services or in the marketing of current ones. The facilities selected for the research are Costa Sur, Delfinario and Club Cienfuegos due to the need to evaluate their environmental and sustainability situation, in addition to supporting the process of insertion into the Environmental Recognition System of the same, and since these three units are the of greater weight in the economic results of the Company. Sustainable development indicators are a viable alternative,to favor the adoption of decisions and measures for improvements in extra-hotel facilities. The sustainable development indicators to be measured were the following:
1. Energy consumption and management.
2. Water Consumption.
3. Effluents and emissions:
- Treatment of waste water
- Existing noise levels and noise effects on clients and residents.
4. Efficacy of Solid Waste Treatment Systems.
5. Protection and hygiene at work.
6. Use and Management of the Environment.
7. Integration in the Local Economy.
8. Origin of tourism employment.
9. Economic efficiency.
10. Customer satisfaction.
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