HEALTH CHECK TEMPLATE FOR NATIONAL TOURISM AUTHORITIES (NTAs) IN EU MEMBER STATES

Outlined below is a full Health Check template for National Tourism Authorities (NTA) in EU Member States. NTAs' response to the Health Check questions will help determine priorities and also provide an indication of the progress already made against existing global sustainable tourism criteria.

It is also possible for NTAs to benchmark their performance against other NTAs.  Levels of Achievement can be No=1, Low=2, Med=3 and High=4). Unsure is to capture areas where internal or external partners are unsure of activity or progress against that item.

1. Research

1. Relevant local information and data is collected and communicated to interested stakeholders
2. NTA understands and can articulate the economic value of tourism (contribution to GDP and jobs)
3. NTA has conducted an audit, and is aware of the current infrastructure and services available at national and regional level (including attractions, accommodation, activities etc.)
4. A survey has been completed to assess the percentage of visitors satisfied with their stay at national and regional level
5. NTA is aware of the forecast number of visitors to the country for the next 3, 5 and 10 years.
6. NTA is aware of the regions capacity to cope with existing and future demand from visitors (i.e. NTA has considered the impact on accommodation, attractions and the environment)
7. NTA has undertaken a survey to assess the level of community support for current and continued tourism marketing and development.

2. Funding and Governance

1. Tourism is considered to be an important economic development activity at national and regional level.
2. NTA supports tourism and Visitor Information Centres in a financial capacity.
3. There are clear coordination and reporting lines for tourism responsibilities within the NTA
4. A range of stakeholders from business, community, NGOs, etc. participate in tourism planning and management processes.
5. NTA is aware of the role of regional tourism organisation in regional tourism marketing and development
6. There is a Statement of Roles agreement in place with the regional tourism organisations which links to the NTA marketing and development activities
7. NTA understands the role and purpose of local tourism organisations
8. Area has an effective local tourism organisation (either an independent organisation, a sub-committee of the Chamber of Commerce or an advisory group). If not, there is an arrangement in place with the regional tourism organisation to deliver this role.

3. Strategy and Planning

1. Tourism is addressed within the NTA's strategic statement, corporate plan or equivalent
2. NTA has clear tourism development objectives with are consistent with its strategic objectives and which are reviewed and reported annually.
3. NTA has a documented tourism strategy available to all stakeholders
4. The tourism strategy is not more than five years old
5. The tourism strategy is reviewed at least annually based on the analysis of the situation and consideration of alternative courses of action
6. NTA prepares yearly tourism action plans covering development, marketing and management priorities
7. NTA has a clear reporting and evaluation mechanism to monitor progress in achieving tourism outcomes over time.
8. Relevant local information and data is collected, collated and communicated to interested stakeholders.
9. NTA is able to measure the economic benefits of tourism at national and regional level (e.g. contribution to GDP or employment generated through tourism)
10. NTA has accepted the concept of ‘sustainable tourism’ and has an environmental sustainability policy or strategy in place to reduce its carbon footprint.

 4. Marketing and Events

1. NTA and the regional tourism organisation (RTO) have an agreed annual marketing plan.
2. NTA participates in regional marketing initiatives.
3. NTA supports promotional material directed to visitors, such as websites and brochures.
4. NTA has an annual calendar of events which is shared with the RTO

 5. Industry and Products Development

1. NTA has a good understanding of the needs of the tourism industry.
2. NTA has a list of local tourism stakeholders, which is updated regularly
3. There is a shared sense of purpose and direction within the community of tourism stakeholders.
4. NTA's planning scheme encourages appropriate levels and styles of tourism development
5. NTA has undertaken a product and infrastructure audit in the past three years and assessed gaps in product against consumer needs and expectations.
6. NTA has a tourism development plan, addressing product and infrastructure needs for tourism

 6. Community

1. NTA represents local interests at a regional level through its participation in regional organisations
2. There is a high level of community support for continued tourism marketing and development
3. Elected members of the NTA have a good understanding of the value and benefits of tourism and current activities.

The tourism industry comprises a complex network of stakeholders and groups that have an interest in the development, management and marketing of tourism for a particular destination. The support, commitment and cooperation of these stakeholders to tourism in a destination is essential for the long-term sustainability of the industry. Identifying and understanding who the stakeholders in a destination are and what their interests are is important in developing an appropriate engagement process. Based on research, a stakeholder engagement process for a destination:

Recognises the concerns and goals of all tourism stakeholders and is important for planning, decision-making and developing mutually beneficial strategies and actions.

A stakeholder network diagram can assist in identifying who is who within a network and inform the stakeholder engagement process.

• Engaging stakeholders based on their interest, skills and expertise to ensure a comprehensive basis of knowledge for planning;
• Understanding and communicating the value of tourism, including economic, social and environmental, to stakeholders is important to gain support and participation in destination planning and management;
• Developing a shared understanding of tourism in a region, including the values and ideals of the destination is important for an agreed tourism focus;
• Developing an agreed vision that provides a focus for future planning, development and management of tourism in the destination;
• Identifying clear roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders. This could be an informal process or through the development of partnership agreements or MoUs;
• Identifying the governance structure for destination management as an important framework that clearly outlines communication, reporting and decision-making processes.

Tourism stakeholders groups include industry operators, government departments and associations, visitors, the community, investors / developers, land owners, industry associations, tourism-related organisations, community and environmental groups.