Indicadores ambientales para el turismo sostenible en San Gil - Colombia: el punto de vista de los actores locales a través del método Delphi

Resumen:El turismo ha sido identificado como un sector con alto potencial para afectar el medio ambiente. Para minimizar los impactos negativos y lograr sostenibilidad, uno de los primeros pasos es contar con mediciones contextualizas. La ciudad de San Gil es reconocida como uno de los destinos de deportes de aventura más importantes en Colombia, sin embargo carece de mecanismos de medición que sirvan de base para la toma de decisiones. A través del método Delphi se propusieron 43 indicadores ambientales relevantes para los grupos de interés de San Gil, pertenecientes a 9 categoríasAbstract: Tourism has been identified for its potential to generate development and well-being but also for causing negative impacts in different areas. The environmental sphere is one of them and has been recognized as critical by various investigations because it can affect the well-being of present and future generations by destroying tourist attractions and the income generated from them and environmental diversity. One of the first steps to minimize negative impacts and achieve sustainability is to have site-specific measurements. The city of San Gil is recognized as one of the most important adventure tourism destinations in Colombia. However, tourism in the region presents environmental challenges such as the absence of measurement mechanisms that serve as a basis for decision-making. Thus, the present study aimed to propose a set of relevant environmental indicators for stakeholders, for a sustainable tourism activity in the municipality of San Gil, through the use of the Delphi method as a social validation tool. This study is relevant since the use of indicators for the practical evaluation of the sustainability of tourism is still at an early stage, especially in specific contexts and using participatory and social validation approaches. This is particularly relevant in the countries of the Global South, especially in South America, where research in this regard is quite limited compared to Europe and North America. Despite the relative agreement about the importance of the search for sustainability in tourism, there are important academic debates, especially in relation to the capacity of the tourism sector to be sustainable and the advantages and obstacles that its application presents. But not only the possibility of sustainable tourism and its conceptualization have been in debate, but of course, its measurement. This study, however, is positioned within those that give credibility and validity to the concept of sustainable tourism and the possibility and importance of its measurement through indicators. Following similar investigations we began with the theoretical identification of indicators. This theoretical review resulted in the identification of candidate indicators and criteria were established for their inclusion or exclusion such as ease of identification and measurement, functional relevance to the ecosystem, having modest technological requirements, being sensitive to the problem in question, being low in ambiguity, and be technically and financially feasible. The above criteria, together with the characterization of the tourism sector in the region, were the basis for screening the theoretical indicators. With these bases and following the Delphi methodology, a database of experts was built according to the structure of the tourism sector of the region. We include experts from the academic area, the business area, government agencies and the community and institutions such as tourism police, and non-profit organizations. The measurement instrument was built based on the candidate indicators. These indicators were included as individual items in a survey that asked the participants, in addition to general information about their experience in tourism, the relevance of each indicator for the San Gil case, using a Likert scale from 1 to 5 from highly irrelevant to highly relevant. After the pilot application of the instrument, some items were adjusted. The survey was sent online. An iterative process of two rounds was carried out with an interdisciplinary panel of 13 local experts. A consensus was reached with a total of 43 indicators belonging to 9 categories: Water, Energy, Waste, Air, Noise, Mobility, Natural Heritage, Global and Institutional. The categories of Water and Natural Heritage were the ones that had the highest number of indicators selected, this may reflect that in these areas there is greater concern of the participating actors, which is consistent with the characteristics of the type of tourism in San Gil and the importance of the Fonce River and the natural heritage in the development of this activity. This research contributes in two ways to similar studies. First, the list of indicators can be used as a basis for areas with similar characteristics to San Gil and, second, the methodology can be replicated in other tourist destinations. In the same way, it also contributes to the existing international literature on the application of the Delphi method for this purpose. The main recommendation that emerges thanks to the completion of this work is addressed to the Municipal Mayor's Office of San Gil and the University of San Gil - UNISANGIL, so that, through entities such as the Institute of Culture and Tourism and the Research Groups of the region; the proposed indicators begin to be generated. It is highly recommended that these indicators be effectively calculated periodically. These data will be crucial for making decisions in this regard, such as budget allocation to control, mitigation, prevention or incentive activities. Within the scope and limitations of this research, it is recognized that when addressing sustainability only from the environmental point of view, it is not possible to have a complete vision of the tourism sustainability of San Gil. In the same way, the study have a limitation in identifying the critical values ​​that should generate concrete actions. The exclusive use of objective indicators and the importance of subjective indicators such as satisfaction and perceptions are also recognized. Limitations regarding the scope of the notions of sustainable tourism, sustainable tourism development, environmental development of tourism, etc. are also admitted. This conceptual discussion was not deepened and a more operational definition of environmentally sustainable tourism was chosen. It is recognized that there are broader and deeper theories with background implications for the selected indicators. Similarly, the authors recognize, in accordance with the evidence provided by other studies, the non-linearity between the evidence (in this case, that which can be provided by the indicators) and political decision-making, for which the information provided by the indicators would be just one of the factors to take into account. The limitations of the study may be addressed by further studies. Thus, for example, the Delphi methodology can be applied to adapt indicators in other areas of sustainability such as economic, socio-cultural and institutional level. Likewise, it can be tried to establish according to national and international comparisons over time; critical values ​​in these indicators. This research also paves the way for other studies that incorporate subjective indicators as well as the calculation of the complete baseline of the indicators.