Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST)

SDG Indicators


UN Tourism is custodian to two SDG indicators from the Global indicator framework. These two indicators are:

  • Indicator 8.9.1: Tourism Direct Gross Domestic Product (Download metadata)
  • Indicator 12.b.1: Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability (Download metadata)

In order to explore and download data related to these two indicators, please go to the webpage "Economic Contribution and SDGs"

The data is collected by UN Tourism from countries and reported on an annual basis to the United Nations Statistical Division, to be published in this website and to be included in the Global SDG Indicators Database. Data is periodically updated on an yearly basis. The Global SDG Indicators Database provides access to data compiled through the UN System in preparation for the Secretary-General's annual report on "Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals". Metadata on these indicators can be found in the SDG indicators Metadata Repository. 

Complementary indicators

The Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (MST) statistical framework is supported  by the United Nations Statistical Commission, which recognizes it as the framework for the derivation of indicators on sustainable tourism as well as for measurement at the subnational level.  In the context of the MST, UN Tourism is working closely with countries and international organizations in the development of a set of indicators that would allow to monitor the contribution of Tourism to the Sustainable Development Agenda.


Inter-agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs)

On 6 March 2015, at its forty-sixth session, the United Nations Statistical Commission created the Inter-agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs), composed of Member States and including regional and international agencies as observers. The IAEG-SDGs was tasked to develop and implement the global indicator framework for the Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda. 

Contributions to the IAEG-SDGs