An impact self-assessment tool for creative tourism with insights from its application to the CREATOUR ® project

Abstract

Considering the small scale of creative tourism, the limited resources in any specific case, and the high engagement level of stakeholders, a self-assessment exercise (i.e. carried out by the organizers/promoters of creative tourism activities) is most appropriate in order to monitor activities and results. Thus, within the CREATOUR ® project, a self-assessment process for creative tourism initiatives was developed, beginning with an initial diagnosis and proceeding to an assessment of outcomes and impacts. The process and tools were co-developed between researchers and practitioners to help various types of creative tourism organizers to measure, monitor, and evaluate the course of their activities in order to improve management and decisionmaking processes. The main objective was to assist practitioners and stakeholder organizations to become more aware of the intentional and unintentional effects generated by creative tourism activities, highlighting the potential benefits of artistic, cultural, and creative experiences for territorial development. This article is divided into three parts: part I outlines the development of the self-assessment process and tools; part II presents a synthesis of overall findings from the CREATOUR ® project resulting from this self-assessment process; and part III lists take-aways for practitioners.