The indicators of environmental aspects of sustainable development of the tourism industry: the European experience

The relevance of sustainable development concept is currently based on the optimal management of resources while maintaining the basic properties of the environment. The recreational resources of territory may act as a means of sustainable development of the region. The qualitative and quantitative assessment of the challenges of sustainable development requires the use of indicators. The article considers the indicators of the programs of sustainable tourism development, adopted by the European Union in 2013: European Tourism Indicators System Toolkit for Sustainable Destinations and Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria for Destinations. The programs consist of four inter-related groups of indicators. One of the groups is represented by the environmental indicators for sustainable tourism development. On the basis of the indicators used in international programs and their adaptation to economic, social and environmental conditions of the Russian regions, the formation of the system of sustainable development of tourism in the Russian Federation is possible.