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Tourism self-assessment tool to help rural destinations, STAR, enables local public authorities in rural destinations to self-assess and measure their level of tourism development. It also provides tailored recommendations, comparing different destinations and generating valuable data and insights for Member States to advance sustainable and inclusive tourism policies.
"The UN Tourism Self-Assessment Tool is a game-changer for rural destinations. It empowers local governments with a tool that allows them to self-assess their policies and actions, providing actionable insights that foster sustainable tourism development and contribute to the overall growth of rural communities", said Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary General of the UN Tourism Organization.
STAR available to all rural destinations in UN Tourism member countries. It is open to local authorities interested in measuring their tourism development and receiving a customized guide with recommendations for implementing sustainable, inclusive and smart tourism models for their destinations.
Key features of STAR include:
Self assessment: Rural destinations can self-evaluate their policies and initiatives through a series of indicators covering five areas:
- Tourism management
- Economic, social and cultural sustainability
- Environmental sustainability
- Development of tourism
- Infrastructure
This self-assessment tool allows stakeholders to focus on strategic planning, marketing and promotion, training and education, policy making, diversification of products and services, infrastructure, environmental and cultural preservation, cooperation with local actors, access to finance, data or measurement of results, between other aspects.
Customized recommendations: The tool provides users with a customized guide with recommendations aligned with UN tourism standards, taking into account the unique features of rural destinations.
Benchmarking Excellence: Supporting local authorities in benchmarking policies and practices, the tool facilitates the evaluation of destinations through various components.
Data and Insights: By providing a wealth of data to Member States, the digital tool enables an in-depth analysis of the destinations being assessed. It sheds light on the strengths and weaknesses of local authorities in tourism policies, strategies and interventions, laying the foundations for improvements to local, regional and national authorities in rural areas.
STAR is part of the "Tourism for Rural Development" project of the UN Tourism. The program envisages tourism as a driver of rural development and well-being, valuing and preserving rural villages, landscapes, knowledge systems and cultural diversity. It is aligned with the goals of sustainable development by promoting innovative and transformative approaches to the development of tourism in rural destinations.
Source of the cover photo: TZ of Bjelovar-Bilogora county
