MEASURING TOURISM SUSTAINABILITY IN KHOREZM REGION: A SUSTAINABLE TOURISM INDICATOR APPROACH

This study develops a Sustainable Tourism Indicator (STI) framework for assessing tourism sustainability in the Khorezm Region of Uzbekistan. The framework integrates the UN Statistical Framework for Measuring the Sustainability of Tourism (SF-MST), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and ISO 18060:2026. Five dimensions– economic, social, environmental, infrastructural, and governance—are assessed through 36 indicators using min–max normalization and a combined weighting method. Based on official regional statistics for 2019–2025, the study identifies strong growth in tourism capacity and market activity, while highlighting opportunities to strengthen the measurement of environmental and social dimensions. The findings emphasize the importance of monitoring water and energy consumption, waste generation, local economic benefits, community participation, and governance effectiveness.