FACTA UNIVERSITATIS Series: Economics and Organization Vol. 16, N o 3, 2019, pp. 315 - 326 https://doi.org/10.22190/FUEO1903315S © 2019 by University of Niš, Serbia | Creative Commons Licence: CC BY-NC-ND Review Paper SOME ASPECTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM 1 UDC 338.48:502.131.1 Vukašin Šušić, Dejan Ţ. Đorđević University of Niš, Faculty of Economics, Niš, Serbia Abstract: This paper analyzes the basis of the concept of sustainable development and refers to the optimal level of space use for tourist purposes. In doing so, a special attention is mostly paid to negative impacts of tourism on space, i.e. the necessity of spatial limitation of tourism development in order to preserve and protect natural and created resources. An intensive and uncontrolled development of tourism in the second half of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century caused the degradation of the environment, the destruction of ecosystems and other social and cultural conflicts in the tourist area. For these reasons, it is necessary to align the planning of the future development of tourism with the principles of sustainable development by using different indicators. The main goal of this paper is to analyze various indicators of sustainable development that determine the possibility of using space in tourism, as well as sustainable tourism development. When selecting the indicators of future development, certain criteria must be taken into consideration, such as the criterion of relevance, feasibility (availability), credibility, and so on. The essence of use of the indicators is to determine the optimal number of potential visitors and facilities in the tourist area, without significantly affecting the environment, reducing the quality of tourist experience (sensation) or jeopardizing the sense of identity, lifestyle and activities of the domicile population. Key words: sustainable development, tourist area, carrying capacity, indicators, the limit of acceptable changes JEL Classification: Q01, Q56, Z32 Received March 11, 2019 / Revised April 26, 2019 / Accepted May 13, 2019 Corresponding author: Dejan Ţ. ĐorĊević University of Niš, Faculty of Economics, Trg kralja Aleksandra Ujedinitelja 11, 18000 Niš, Serbia E-mail: ekngeo@gmail.com 316 V. ŠUŠIĆ, D.Ţ. ĐORĐEVIĆ INTRODUCTION Intensive tourism flows at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century left noticeable negative consequences on the surroundings and natural environment. Negative consequences are especially evident in tourist destinations where significant tourist movements and high tourist seasons are present during a certain part of the year. The best example are the coastal destinations in the Mediterranean, where the concentration of tourists is high during the summer tourist season, especially in the period from July to August. A similar situation occurs in the winter months in some mountain destinations such as the Alps. Exactly as a consequence of the negative impact of tourism on the surroundings, the tourist value of not only natural, but also anthropogenic resources is reduced. In this way, the tourist area loses the attractiveness and importance of destination for vacation, recreation and satisfaction of other tourist needs. Due to unplanned construction, air and water pollution and increased noise, tourist destinations with intensive tourism turnover start to resemble cities and increasingly take on the appearance of city agglomeration, which reduces the difference between emitting and receptive areas. 1. SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND ENVIRONMENT Bearing in mind that in the 21st century a further increase in tourist turnover has continued, and the relationship between the environment and tourism becomes more and more complex, it is clear that the use and protection of the tourist area, as a basic tourist resource in the context of sustainable economic development, is gaining its importance. In order to realize the goals of sustainable tourism and enable their implementation on a wider scale, it is necessary to abide by basic principles that represent the framework and practical guide for practical implementation. The modern concept of sustainability does not only take into account the traditional economic aspect, but also some quantitative indicators that measure social (socio-cultural) and environmental impact. Three basic principles are usually emphasized, based on three pillars of sustainability: economic, ecological and socio-cultural sustainability. This measuring approach of corporate sustainability performance in literature is called the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) ((Tourism Working Group, 2013). Namely, sustainable tourism implies the level of tourism activity that can be sustained in the long term, because it rests on the benefits of the socio-cultural, economic and natural environment of the area in which it is taking place. Therefore, sustainable tourism is defined as a form of tourism that ―finds a balance between economic prosperity, environmental protection and social equity‖ (Stoddard et al., 2012). Apart from these three pillars, the principles of sustainability, the literature also distinguishes the transverse pillar that supports economic, socio-cultural and ecological pillars through management, infrastructure, etc. (Tourism Working Group, 2013). With appearance of the globalization process, besides the immediate ecological, economic and socio-cultural benefits, the geopolitical dimension of sustainable tourism is increasingly included, which contributes to world peace and understanding among people (Weaver, 2010). Tourism has a significant role in sustainable development of environment for two reasons. The first is that tourism, as a sector with the most dynamic development, has a significant impact on economies of many countries and destinations in the world. The second is related to the tourist activity that creates a special relationship between consumers (visitors), environment and local community, or domicile population (Tourism Working Some Aspects of Sustainable Development of Tourism 317 Group, 2013). At the beginning of the 90s, the debate on sustainable tourism became more complete, encompassing not only the environmental issue, but also the socio-cultural, economic and geopolitical dimensions of this problem. In contemporary literature, problems related to the definition of sustainable development and sustainable tourism, are increasingly emphasized. Namely, there is a big difference between sustainable tourism, where the emphasis is on the consumer and on the market conditions, in order to maintain tourism industry, and sustainable development, where the emphasis is placed on the development of tourism as means of achieving broader social and environmental goals (Holden, 2008, Sneddon et al., 2006). Therefore, the goals of sustainable tourism will not always coincide with goals of sustainable development. Sustainable tourism should imply a balance between the environmental, social and economic aspects of tourism and the need to maintain sustainability in all segments of tourism. According to WTO, principles of sustainable tourism development are applicable to all forms of tourism, including mass tourism and specific segments of tourism, as well as all types of tourist destinations. From the above, it follows that sustainable tourism is not a particular form of tourism; On the contrary, all forms of tourism can strive for sustainable development (UNEP and UNWTO, 2005). Sustainable tourism refers to "tourism that fully respects current and future economic, social and environmental impacts that will not endanger the environment, the needs of visitors, economy and local community" (UNEP and WTO, 2005, page 11). Sustainable tourism should meet the needs of current participants in tourism, at the same time preserving and increasing the potential for using tourist resources in the future, without compromising their rights of future generations to meet their needs. It can be said that sustainable development of tourist destination implies a right to tourism and freedom of tourist flows, a satisfaction of economic, social and aesthetic needs, while maintaining the characteristics of natural, social environment and cultural-historical heritage. Accordingly, sustainable tourism should (UNEP and WTO, 2005, p. -12):  Ensure optimum utilization of environmental resources, which are a key element of tourism development, maintaining important ecological processes and helping to preserve natural heritage and biodiversity;  Respect the socio-cultural authenticity of tourist destinations, protect their modern cultural heritage and traditional values and contribute to understanding and tolerance between cultures;  Provide sustainable long-term business by generating socio-economic benefits that are fairly distributed to all stakeholders, including stable employment, income generation and social housing for host community, contributing to poverty reduction in domicile population. The following are the basic goals for the development of sustainable tourism (Fennel, 1999, p. 14):  Developing greater awareness and understanding of the impact of tourism on environment and economy;  Promoting equality and development;  Improving standard of living of local communities;  Increasing the quality of experience for visitors;  Maintaining the quality of the environment of which the aforementioned goals depend. Sustainable tourism should enable people to enjoy and acquire knowledge about the natural, historical and cultural values of a given area, while preserving the integrity of a 318 V. ŠUŠIĆ, D.Ţ. ĐORĐEVIĆ destination and fostering economic development and well-being of the local community. In other words, sustainable tourism does not have a goal to prevent the development of tourism, but to enable its development in a way so that tourists visit attractions and meet tourist needs without destroying the attributes that have attracted them. 2. INSTRUMENTS OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT POLICY The relationship between the environment and tourism has become increasingly complex, and sustainable use and protection of space, as a basic tourist resource, is becoming more and more important. In order to prevent conflicts in relation to tourism – tourist area, it is necessary to integrate environmental protection planning and tourism management into a unique spatial planning process for tourism development (Wall & Mathison, 2006). Adequate planning and management of sustainable tourism development in tourist destinations involves the use of various methods and techniques. Apart from tourism policy instruments and planning and other incentives, more radical changes and behavior towards the surrounding environment can be achieved by repressive measures, such as taxes, fees, etc. (Budeanu, 2007). There is a wide range of instruments that can be used to achieve sustainable development in tourism. Of course, legislation is and will be irreplaceable in defining the legal framework in which tourism entities can operate, as well as in establishing basic standards and procedures for sustainable development. Environmental instruments have been increasingly used by governments and state administration to emphasize the importance of preserving surrounding environment. However, voluntary proactive approaches are certainly the best way to ensure long-term commitment and improvement of sustainable tourism development (Holden, 2008, p. 203). Nowadays, various means and techniques are used to assess and measure different aspects of sustainable tourism development. First of all, they include (Mowforth & Munt, 2003, p.116):  Creation of protected areas (national parks, wildlife areas, biosphere reserves, etc.);  Regulation of tourism economy (legislation of states, regulations and norms of professional associations, etc.);  Technique of visitors’ management (spatial distribution of tourists, directing the flows of visitors, etc.);  Environmental impact assessment (balanced planning of tourism development, mathematical models, geographic information systems, etc.);  Determination of the carrying capacity;  Meeting-participation techniques (meetings, review of public attitudes, etc.);  Ethical codes (for tourists, for tourist economy, for the local government, etc.);  Sustainable development indicators. These quantitative and qualitative indicators aim to limit the use of tourist resources in a deliberate and justified way and limit tourism development to a border (threshold) that does not endanger the surrounding environment and optimal tourism development. Formation of protected areas refers to the designation of certain areas protected by natural resources. The establishment of protected areas allows for the preservation of a type of biophysical process or condition. The regulation of the tourism industry is an important tool for implementing the concept of sustainable tourism and is guided by legal measures, norms, rules, social responsibility, etc. Determining the capacity of the bearer means an analysis of the physical, ecological, social bearing capacity, environmental capacity, and so on. Sustainable Some Aspects of Sustainable Development of Tourism 319 tourism indicators include the use of resources, the degree of pollution, waste, local participation, tourist facilities, diversity of natural and cultural life, etc. (Mowforth & Munt, 2003). Also, environmental protection and sustainable development tools include visitor management techniques, ethical codes related to tourists, local economy, domicile population, etc. And precisely, the main goal of the paper is to analyze the role of some measures and indicators that significantly determine the upper limit of possible use of space in tourism and sustainable tourism development. 3. INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN TOURISM Sustainable Development Indicators are the youngest assets among sustainable development instruments whose use began after the World Summit in Rio in 1992. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO, 1996), "indicators measure or evaluate certain information, with which the decision makers (administrative bodies) reduce possibility of unconsciously making bad business decisions." It is recommended that the indicators be used successively over a period of time to determine evolutionary changes important for tourism development and management. There are three different aspects that can be measured: ―Changes in tourism structure and internal factors, changes in external factors that affect tourism and tourism impacts‖ (Tourism Working Group, 2013, p. 7). Sustainable tourism indicators mark the presence and scope of a particular current phenomenon, tendency of future development, identification of risks or the need for action. In fact, indicators are sets of information selected to measure changes important for tourism development and management. When selecting indicators of future development, certain criteria must be taken into account, such as the relevance, feasibility, reliability, precision and comparability criterion (Manning, 1999). Relevance means that a particular indicator provides adequate information and a response to a particular outcome. Feasibility (availability) refers to the ways and possibilities of collecting relevant data or information. Credibility of information and its reliability for the user depends on the accuracy of information provided by the data provider, which enables the creation of indicators of sustainable tourism. Accuracy implies clarity and comprehensibility of data and information to the user regarding their knowledge and skills about the indicator itself. Comparability is a criterion that indicates changes over time and the possibility of comparing spatial units of a different hierarchical rank (locality, tourist center, region, destination, etc.) (UNWTO, 2004). The factors influencing the selection of indicators and determining the management of a particular destination include: access to sustainable development (minimal or comprehensive), indicator measurements, available financial, human and other resources, interests of key subjects of tourism development in a given destination, public support and political influence – Butler, 1996). Bearing in mind that tourism is a complex system; the selection of the indicators of sustainable development is determined by the type of destination and it is in accordance with the capacity of the tourist area for the development of certain forms of tourism. The difficulty in using indicators of sustainable tourism most commonly is a consequence of bad interpretation of the concept of sustainable development, by different actors in the tourism system. This problem is initiated by the absence of stronger social responsibility, which is the result of incompatibility between needs and objectives of science and political institutions (Tanguay, et al., 2011). For politicians, indicators of sustainable tourism should point to internal 320 V. ŠUŠIĆ, D.Ţ. ĐORĐEVIĆ and external factors that affect the structure of tourism sector. They should point out the benefits and tourism influence in a specific area and identify the priority tourism activities (UNWTO, 2004). For tourism operators, the process of defining indicators is an effective means of obtaining information on the status and values of natural and anthropogenic resources. In 2004, WTO outlined 748 indicators classified into 29 base groups of indicators that can be applied to all types of destinations. However, a complete list of indicators is optional and can be reduced. In development of tourism strategies, depending on the characteristics of a destination, indicators recommended by WTO were used to a different extent. For example, in the development of Tourism Development Strategy of the Balearic Islands, where tourism is the main sector of economy, 50 indicators were used, in the Canary Islands nine, and in the Caribbean 20 indicators, etc. (Tanguay, et al., 2011). So, today the number of indicators is reduced due to more often chosen criteria and it uses those that best emphasize the dimensions and issues of sustainable tourism development. In 2013, the European Commission launched the European Tourism Indicators System (ETIS) ―with the aim to help destinations track and measure sustainable tourism development, using commonly comparable approach and indicators‖ (European Commission, 2013). So, the ETIS (European Tourism Indicator System) is a tool for managing, informing and monitoring development, especially for tourism destinations. It is designed as a ―process for collecting and analyzing data with the overall objective of assessing impact of tourism on the destination‖ (European Commission, 2016, p. 10). Collecting data and information on a wide range of issues related to the local economy, community and environment helps determine a degree and directions of development of a tourist destination. Feasibility and practicality of The European Tourism Indicator System (ETIS) at the destination level was tested during a two-year period through two pilot phases. More than 100 destinations throughout Europe ―have been implemented and tested by ETIS and provided feedback to the Commission about their experience‖ (European Commission, 2016, p. 10). The European Tourism Indicator System has defined 43 basic indicators covering basic aspects of sustainability monitoring and providing basis for an effective destination management. Basic indicators enable monitoring of development of sustainable tourism in a certain period of time, as well as a comparison of degree of sustainability of tourism between destinations. These indicators are classified into four sections of indicators (thematic areas). These thematic areas include indicators that best reflect sustainable development of tourism in a destination (European Union, 2016, pp. 21-22): 1. Management indicators emphasize the role of public policy and businesses, as well as consumer satisfaction on sustainable development of tourism destinations; 2. Economic indicators point to the economic effects of business in tourism, tourist company performance, quantity and quality of employees, supply chains (percentage participation of local companies in production of food, beverages and other products and services, etc.); 3. Social and cultural indicators reflect social impact of tourism, health and safety in a destination, gender equality, accessibility of tourist facilities to disabled people, preservation and protection of cultural heritage and local identity; 4. Environmental Impact Indicators focus on elements that are crucial for sustainability of the environment in a destination: the impact of traffic, climate change, solid waste management, water consumption and method of wastewater treatment, use of energy, landscape and biodiversity protection, etc. Some Aspects of Sustainable Development of Tourism 321 In addition to basic ones, additional indicators can be used to measure sustainable development. Additional indicators complement basic information and customize evaluation systems to specific needs or destination category, e.g. coastal, mountainous, urban, rural, island, urban areas and others. However, the highest number of additional indicators of the European Tourism Indicator System (ETIS) is dedicated to the economic sphere (e.g. percentage of destination with recognizable strategy and development control and the evaluation of sustainable tourism), social sphere (equality and accessibility of tourist facilities to all categories of tourists etc.) and cultural aspects of sustainable tourism (e.g. whether a destination is a part of the cultural road certified by the Council of Europe; the influence of other cultures on culture and the identity of domicile population, etc.) (European Union, 2016). At the beginning of the XXI century, in numerous strategies for sustainable tourism development, the most commonly used indicators were: water consumption in tourism, the total number of tourists in the destination, the average stay of tourists in the destination, occupancy rate, the level of satisfaction of tourists, the level of satisfaction of local population, the existence of adequate tourist development plans, the relationship between culture of tourists and the local population and other (Tanguay, et al., 2011). Most of the indicators used are at the same time the elements of the carrying capacity of the tourist destination. The difficult application of quantitative indicators has led to the use of alternative approaches aimed at identifying potential problems and determining the levels of acceptable changes in the tourist area (LEC) or to assess the environmental impact (EIA), i.e. to identify the environmental impact of tourism development on the surrounding environment (Mowforth, Munt, 2003; Holden, 2008). 3.1. Carrying capacity as an indicator of sustainable development The concept of carrying capacity was used within the framework of recreational studies of the 1960s, while the subject of greater interest in tourism development planners started in the 1980s of the last century. However, even in 1966, a study, under the patronage of the United Nations, was conducted and it was an attempt to apply the carrying capacity of the tourist destination. The study has defined the number of tourists who can stay in different destinations in Donegal (The Republic of Ireland) without compromising the physical environment (Butler, 1996). Optimal use of tourist attractions, as the key elements of tourism development, implies the preservation of ecological processes, natural resources and biodiversity, as well as cultural and historical heritage. In this respect, a number of conditions must be ―fulfilled to enable tourism to become sustainable, as social and economic development within the available capacity of ecosystems and socio-cultural thresholds‖ (United Nations Environment Program, 2011). The carrying capacity refers to the maximum use of any tourist space without causing the negative effects on the resources of the environment, without reducing the satisfaction of visitors nor adversely affecting the society, economy and culture of the destination (Holden, 2008). It is most often determined on the basis of the chosen development scenario of tourism development, respecting the given limitations. Therefore, the optimization of the use of environmental components implies determining the carrying capacity of the tourist destination, i.e. the zoning of tourist areas according to the quantity and quality of certain components of the environment (Dulĉić & Petrić, 2001). According to the World Tourism 322 V. ŠUŠIĆ, D.Ţ. ĐORĐEVIĆ Organization (WTO) the term carrying capacity implies, ―the maximum number of tourists who visit a tourist destination simultaneously, which does not lead to a significant disruption of the physical, economic and socio-cultural environment, as well as a significant decrease in the quality of tourists satisfaction‖ (PAP / RAC 1997). The carrying capacity refers to the maximum use of the destination, provided that the resources are not threatened, that the satisfaction of the visitors is not reduced, and that there is no negative impact on the society, economy and culture of the local community. Based on these definitions, it is obvious that there are different elements of the carrying capacity. In literature, at least three types of threshold levels (thresholds) are distinguished as relevant to tourism:  Physical (ecological) bearing capacity;  Economic bearing capacity;  Social support capacity. These carrying capacities have boundary levels above which saturation levels are considered to be exceeded, which leads to a decrease in the quality of individual components or the total space for the development of individual forms of tourism (Holden, 2008). The physical carrying capacity indicates how many visitors and objects can be accommodated in a particular area without significant disturbance of the surrounding environment. In doing so, it is necessary to define the size and capacities of each individual tourist object and the distribution of various contents and accordingly plan and manage the development of tourism. It is also necessary to determine the maximum use of natural resources, the manner of functioning of municipal facilities, the manner of waste management, the adequate availability of other facilities and services to the community that are taken to public health and safety, housing, etc. (Laboratory of the University of the Aegean, 2001). For example, for coastal destinations, this refers to the depth of space that is activated in a particular destination. Namely, today it is not enough for tourists to be offered the sun, the sea and the sand, but much more. So, the beach is not the only limit that determines the carrying capacity of the coastal destination. When it comes to cultural and historical monuments, physical carrying capacity signifies the level of use for tourist purposes, without damaging buildings (Authors Group, 2005). Social-bearing capacity is used as a generic term that includes relationships and tolerance between domicile population on one side, and the quality of visitors’ experience, on the other side. The sociological aspect of the carrying capacity is widely understood and implies the possibility of maintaining the social and cultural specificities of the local community, despite the development of tourism and the acceptance of communication with people of different cultural, value, ethnic and other characteristics. Economic (economic-political) bearing capacity is a set of tourism's impacts on local economic structures and activities, including a competition with other sectors. It also includes the institutional issues of local tourism management. The components of this carrying capacity are (Laboratory of the University of the Aegean, 2001, p. 14):  Degree of specialization in tourism;  Transfer of labor from other sectors to tourism;  Tourism revenues and distribution issues at the local level;  Level of employment in tourism in relation to the available potential of human resources of a destination. Accordingly, the economic bearing capacity implies the development of tourism and related activities, without suppressing other activities that are necessary for the life of the Some Aspects of Sustainable Development of Tourism 323 local population, or a sharp increase in the price of products and services on which the existence of the population of the tourist destination depends. The levels of carrying capacity are interconnected, and overrun of the limit level of a type of load capacity over a given period, does not necessarily have a detrimental effect on the limit level of another type of capacity. For example, increasing the number of mountaineers in a mountainous destination can endanger the plant world and disturb the ecological balance, while ensuring that the quality of visitors' satisfaction is not compromised. However, if the increase in the number of mountaineers continues to increase, the environmental damage will be proportionally increased. In the end, the level of ecological damage will lead to overcoming the level of burden, which will reduce the level of satisfaction of mountaineers in the mountainous destination (Holden, 2008). Each spatial entity has its specificities, the complexity of ecosystems, different attractions, conflict zones, infrastructure elements, recreational and cultural contents, different number and structure of the population, protected areas, etc. It is also necessary to determine the optimal standards for tourists, their activities and built objects in assessing the carrying capacity. For the planning of tourism destination development, the most useful is the establishment of standards relating to the maximum capacity of a space expressed in units of area per user or in certain cases (such as driving a canoe along the river, biking along the track, walking and hiking along the trail, etc.) in linear units of length per user. For example, when determining the standards for beaches, it is necessary to perform a complete analysis with the evaluation of both the quality of the environment and the quality of the tourist experience. The subjective perceptions of tourists are the biggest problem in the assessment of the carrying capacity, since often the opinions of tourists about quality differ from the attitudes of the local population or tourist organizations and companies (Authors Group, 2005). The calculation of the carrying capacity based on standard norms has its drawbacks because it starts from the assumption that the tourist space is a homogeneous spatial unit. However, the tourist area is heterogeneous and consists of several spatial units characterized by a different degree of ecological sensitivity, and, therefore, their carrying capacities are different (Joviĉić, 2008). Consequently, the calculation of the carrying capacities of larger spatial units must be the result or the sum of the individual carrying capacities of the spatial units of a lower hierarchical rank. In other words, general standards are difficult to apply to all parts of the tourist area without respect for their particularity, different purpose and intensity of use. Additionally, it should be considered that the spatial distribution of tourists and tourist flows is not even, but tourists mostly concentrate on certain attractive points (Šušić, 2017). A special attention is paid to the seasonal character of tourism, so the carrying capacity should be determined in relation to the maximum concentration of demand when the destination is facing the greatest burden. In addition, one of the deficiencies in the calculation of the carrying capacity is that, in particular, the ecological threshold or threshold of the tolerance of the ecological system is omitted; the threshold of tolerance of the local population, as well as the threshold of the tolerance of tourists and their tourist experience. 3.2. Concept of limits of acceptable change (LAC) Due to difficulties related to the quantification and determination of the level of load capacity of tourist area, an alternative approach has been increasingly applied, aiming at identifying potential problems rather than determining the optimal number of tourists in a 324 V. ŠUŠIĆ, D.Ţ. ĐORĐEVIĆ destination (WTO, UNEP, 2005). In that sense, "limits of acceptable change" (LAC), also known as the limits of acceptable use, have been applied increasingly. The concept of limits of acceptable change, i.e. the LAC system, as well as the level of supporting capacity, has its origins in the management of protected areas and planning of recreational activities (McCool, 1996, p. 1). LAC "represents a way of managing a destination that enables the identification of specific indicators of quality and impact of tourism on environment, as well as the definition of thresholds for the protection of tourist area" (CAB International 2001). This LAC system does not determine the number of tourists that can be accommodated in a given space, but it analyzes acceptable ecological, economic and social conditions, as well as overall potential for tourism development in a given destination. The system, therefore, relies on the identification of desired economic, social and ecological conditions of the destination. LAC is a nine-step technical process — from identifying issues and problems as the first, to carrying out an action and monitoring the situation as the final step. The most important steps are (WTO, UNEP, 2005, p. 76):  Identification of impacts that limit development or use;  Identification of usable indicators related to these impacts;  Identifying a range of values of these indicators that are considered to be acceptable or unacceptable (based on evidence, professional consultation, etc.).  Maintaining monitoring process to ensure that a research remains within the acceptable range.  Taking steps to adjust usage control levels without exceeding the limit. Thus, the mechanism of LAC system encompasses the application of a series of indicators that point to the environmental conditions of a particular area by which we can carry out a standard estimation and determine the rate of change. Typically, the indicators should relate to the state of natural resources, economic criteria, and the experience of the local people and tourists in a particular destination. For example: the levels of water and air pollution, as well as the levels of noise can be controlled; furthermore, the percentage of labor force in tourism sector, the rate of crime and traffic accidents associated with tourism, as well as the level of tourist satisfaction can be estimated. These indicators show the impact that tourism has on a particular destination, and on the quality of life of the local population (Holden, 2008, p. 191). CONCLUSION The application of the concept of sustainable development in tourism implies the use of a wide range of measures, resources and instruments. In addition to the legislation that defines the legal framework in which tourism entities can operate, there are other means and instruments that determine the upper boundaries of the load/use of the tourist area. The most significant quantitative and qualitative indicators, which consciously and justifiably restrict the use of tourist resources and limit tourism development to the boundary (threshold) that does not jeopardize the surrounding environment and optimal tourism development, are different indicators of sustainable development. Choosing and evaluating relevant indicators of sustainable development in tourism is a very demanding process. Some Aspects of Sustainable Development of Tourism 325 Taking into account that tourism is a complex system, there are numerous indicators that determine the opportunities and constraints of tourism development in a particular tourist destination. It should be pointed out that in the estimation of tourism development opportunities in destinations, a wide variety of indicators can be used. These indicators can be divided into four groups: management, economic, socio-cultural and ecological. Sustainable development indicators aim to identify the conditions in which sustainable tourism and harmonious social and economic development can be developed within the available ecosystem support capacity and socio-cultural thresholds. The carrying capacity represents a conscious limitation of the level of exploitation of space, i.e. tourism potentials to the border that provides minimal negative ecological, social, economic, psychological and other consequences for the tourist destination. For these reasons, a reasonable restriction on the exploitation of tourism potential is the most effective way of actively protecting the tourist area. Although the theoretical concept is clear, due to the different approaches to determining the average standard of the surface belonging to the user of the space, the calculation of the optimal carrying capacity of a particular spatial unit is considerably more difficult. 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Tourism Recreation Research, 35 (1), 47–53. NEKI ASPEKTI ODRŢIVOG RAZVOJA TURIZMA U radu se analiziraju osnove koncepta održivog razvoja i ukazuje na optimalan nivo korišćenja prostora u turističke svrhe. Pri tome se posebna pažnja poklanja pretežno negativnim uticajima turizma na prostor, odnosno neophodnosti prostornog ograničenja razvoja turizma radi očuvanja i zaštite prirodnih i stvorenih resursa. Intenzivan i nekotrolisan razvoj turizma u drugoj polovini XX i početkom XXI veka uticao je na degradaciju životne sredine, uništavanje ekosistema i do različitih društvenih i kulturnih konflikata u turističkom prostoru. Iz tih razloga planiranje budućeg razvoja turizma potrebno je, uz korišćenje različitih indikatora, uskladiti sa načelima održivog razvoja. Kod izbora indikatora budućeg razvoja moraju se uzimati u obzir određeni kriterijumi, kao što su kriterijum relevantnosti, izvodljivosti (dostupnosti), verodostojnosti i dr. Suština korišćenja indikatora je da se utvrdi optimalan broj potencijalnih posetilaca i objekata u turističkom prostoru, a da se pri tome bitnije ne naruši životna sredina, smanji kvalitet doživljaja turista i ne ugrozi osećaj identiteta, stila života i aktivnosti domicilnog stanovništva. Kljuĉne reĉi: održivi razvoj, turistički prostor, noseći kapacitet, indikatori, granica prihvatljivih promena