Exploring Relationship Between Controllable Metrics and Socio-Environmental Performance Indicators in Responsible Tourism Context Using Temporal Causal Model

Abstract

This study explores relationship between the controllable issues in responsible tourism and the key socio-environmental performance indicators, using the Temporal Causal Modeling (TCM) approach. TCM uses an autoregressive approach to build a causal model for a specified set of target series from a set of candidate inputs. Unlike the conventional time series, modeling TCM does not use an explicit predictor. TCM is likely to identify the controllable inputs that have maximum impact on key performance indicators. The study used 5-year time series data (2014-2018) on socio-environmental performance indicators in Indian tourism context and normalized controllable metrics related to responsible tourism. The analysis identified restoration programmes, recycling & reusing products, biological conservation, ecological carrying capacity and ethno-cultural advocacy as controllable metrics of responsible tourism and found to share significant relationship with 10 socio-environmental key performance indicators. The analysis identified restoration programmes, recycling & reusing products, biological conservation, ecological carrying capacity and ethno-cultural advocacy as controllable metrics of responsible tourism and found to share significant relationship with 10 socio-environmental key performance indicators. Key words: Responsibility; Sustainability; Causal; Indicators; Controllable; Tourism.