Managing mass tourism in mountain ecosystems through instrument of sustainable tourism indicators

Sustainable tourism indicators assist in fashioning tourism intervention plans with the policy-relevant framework for incorporating sustainability into planning and decision-making, and the success is entwined with the participation of different stakeholders. This work identifies and evaluates tourism sustainability construct indicators in the mountain ecosystems. The present study used both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The delineation of the extent of criteria & indicators was done by extensive literature & stakeholders' interpretation assessments. Delphi Survey with Lawshee’s CVR (Content Validation Ratio) was conducted encircling a range of concerned stakeholders to pleat the consensus. Cronbach's Alpha, Content Validity Index, and Modified Kappa were also used to see the internal consistency. The results highlight that out of 106 selected indicators, the consensus was achieved on only 76 indicators after three rounds of the Delphi survey. These retained indicators were validated by CVR scores that were ≥ 0.33 for all 76 indicators. Cronbach’s Alpha, Content Validity Index, and Modified Kappa estimates exceed 0.70, highlighting better results. The work contributes a polished appreciation and significance of stakeholders in the sustainable development of tourism in fragile mountain ecosystems. With the result, it underscores the importance of sustainable tourism indicators for monitoring and managing sustainable tourism development in mountain ecosystems.