International Tourism Acceptance

Project description

Since 2019, the German Institute for Tourism Research (FH Westküste University of Applied Sciences) has been measuring tourism acceptance in Germany using a standardized approach that captures both the perception of impacts on the place of residence (TAS-W) and on the personal level (TAS-P), and allows for comparisons over time. Following successful validation in over 120 destinations and time-series comparisons for Germany as a whole since 2019, the TAS 2026 was also administered for the first time in nine additional European destinations.

The goal of this cross-national study is to establish a comparable method for measuring the local perspective on tourism, given its growing relevance and the current lack of international standards. Both the European Commission and the UN Tourism (UN Tourism) call for the harmonization and standardization of measurement methods to ensure comparability in an international context. The Tourism Acceptance Balance developed by DI Tourismusforschung is included in the “Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism” of UN Tourism as a best-practice example for capturing local perspectives. This pilot study thus represents the first comparable measurement at the European level.

The project is being carried out in cooperation with national (Deutscher Tourismusverband, dwif e.V.) and international partners (STATISTIK AUSTRIA, Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, University of South-Eastern Norway, Breda University of Applied Sciences) and in close coordination with the European Commission’s Joint Research Center.

The following European countries were included in the initial survey, which was conducted at the same time as the survey at the federal level:

• France

• Italy
• Croatia
• Norway
• Netherlands
• Austria
• Poland
• Switzerland
• Spain

Methodological Approach:

• A representative population survey for each country surveyed (ages 16 and older), n = 1,000 per country surveyed
• 5-minute, fully standardized online survey (in the local language / official language)

Key Topics:

• Acceptance of tourism (at the community level and on a personal level)
• The Impact of Tourism on Quality of Life (including at the community level and on an individual basis)
• Attitudes toward the number of tourists (total number, overnight guests, day visitors, domestic and international guests)
• Perceived impacts of tourism on the community (e.g., tourism as an economic factor, support for local businesses, overcrowding)
• Personal connection to tourism (e.g., employment in the tourism industry, renting out vacation properties)

Additional attributes queried or enriched:

• Sociodemographics: gender, age, education, place of residence, net household income, migration background
• Political Orientation
• Tourism intensity of the place of residence (overnight stays per resident)
• Type of area where the person lives (e.g., urban/rural)