This thesis investigates how relational factors (like network ties and stakeholder relationships) shape the development and implementation of sustainability impact measurement (SIM) within Southern Sweden’s destination management system (SSDMS). The research addresses a key problem: while sustainability expectations on tourism governance are growing, the actual practices for measuring sustainability impacts remain underdeveloped, fragmented, and unevenly applied across actors like Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), municipalities, hotel groups, and NGOs. Using an integrative framework combining systems thinking, stakeholder theory, and network theory, the study explores how sustainability measurement practices emerge, evolve, or stall within governance networks.

The study employed a qualitative research design, combining semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and document analysis of planning materials, sustainability strategies, and public reports. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns across institutional actors, with attention to both organizational dynamics and cross-sectoral relationships.

The major findings show that (1) sustainability is understood and negotiated differently across actors, shaped by organizational roles, political pressures, and economic priorities; (2) stakeholder power asymmetries strongly influence what gets measured and why, with corporate, public, and community actors driving different agendas; and (3) effective measurement practices rely not only on technical tools but also on the strength of collaborative networks and feedback systems. While some initiatives leverage informal partnerships and transnational projects to bypass governance gaps, persistent barriers like institutional silos and fragmented data systems hinder broader progress. Overall, the study contributes to sustainability governance scholarship by demonstrating how network configurations, stakeholder dynamics, and systemic feedback loops interact to shape SIM in tourism governance.