The European Tourism Indicators System (ETIS) is a product of the European Union (EU) Sustainable Development Strategy, which was formulated with the objectives of promoting economic prosperity, social equity, cohesion, and environmental protection. In this paper, we present an analysis of the results of the implementation of the ETIS during the period 2013–2016, in the Italian tourist destination of South Sardinia. While the implementation of ETIS constitutes a significant advancement in Italy, and more widely in Europe, our findings reveal that an adaptive management approach is necessary for achieving the anticipated objectives and adapting these standardized indicators to different territorial contexts. Difficulties were encountered in both data collection and stakeholders’ involvement in the implementation process. Insufficient knowledge, and familiarity with the complex technical aspects of the indicator toolkit among primary stakeholders, was another constraint associated with its implementation. We believe that the findings of this analysis can provide guidelines and inputs for other European countries and tourist destinations that are currently in the process of implementing the ETIS toolkit or similar methodologies. In particular, the pioneering sustainable tourism performance measurement system (STPMS) can be adapted to meet local needs.

To make sustainable tourism a more concrete and operational concept, many sets of indicators have been proposed by both academics and policy makers. Among the latter, the European Tourism Indicator System (ETIS) was launched by the European Commission to monitor tourist destinations at a subnational level. To evaluate the social impact of tourism, the ETIS recommended the administration of a proposed questionnaire to the local residents. We conducted the survey administration of the ETIS questionnaire in an Italian seaside resort. In this paper, we report the main outcomes of the survey and propose their interpretation within the context of some of the theoretical frameworks described in the academic literature referring to the relationship between tourism and host communities.

The European system of indicators is the result of the European Union sustainable development strategy, based on the objectives of economic prosperity, social equity, cohesion and environmental protection. In 2010 the EC defined four strategic priorities: encourage competitiveness in the tourism sector, promote sustainable high-quality tourism, strengthen the image of Europe as a tourism destination, and finally, improve EU financial policies and instruments. This paper aims to analyze in a positive critical perspective the experience done during the period 2013-2014 in the Italian destination Visit South Sardinia. This experience is in one hand an important primacy in Italy and in Europe, but in the other hand has not reached the expected objectives. Many difficulties were encountered both for data collection and for stakeholder involvement. Also the complexity of the indicators tool kit is relevant. Even if the experience of VSS did not produce the expected results, we believe that the analysis carried out in this paper can help and support other countries and or other destination in Europe in the process of implementation of the ETIS indicators tool kit in order to adapt the system itself to the needs that are encountered locally.