The Role of the Local Community in Implementing the Human Circular Tourism: Recommendations, Actions, and Multidimensional Indicators

The tourism sector is one of the world’s major economic sectors and, thus, one of the main players in the development dynamics. At the same time, it produces negative impacts (increasing waste generation, noise and air pollution, and congestion in infrastructure and public areas) as it is organized according to a linear logic. As already introduced by the United Nations, the circular economy can represent a development model for a more sustainable future. This model can be adopted in various fields and sectors, including tourism, to transform processes from linear to circular. In this framework, this study is a part of a previous authors’ research on the integration of the UNWTO Tourism for SDGs Platform in the perspective of the “Human Circular Tourism” (HCT). It aims to develop an operational framework consisting of recommendations, actions, and indicators to effectively operationalize this model. Considering the seven tourism stakeholder categories identified by the authors, this contribution is focused on the “local community” category. It is important as it plays a fundamental role in enhancing tourist experience, stimulating cultural and knowledge exchange (based on the understanding, respect, and integration with local values) and reducing possible conflicts between tourist and community interests and needs. The proposal is intended to be a useful support to decision-makers and other tourism stakeholders in identifying development strategies to make the tourism sector more sustainable.