Beyond sustainability scores: mapping governance leverage and intervention sequencing in tourism destinations

Rapid tourism expansion pressures destinations to translate sustainability metrics into governance action. Although indicator systems diagnose multidimensional performance, they rarely specify how interventions should be sequenced under structural interdependence. This study addresses the sequencing gap by integrating Multi-Aspect Sustainability Analysis (MSA) and Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) to link performance diagnostics with hierarchical leverage mapping. Using Taif, Saudi Arabia, as an empirical case, the study first identifies sustainability gaps and high-leverage variables through sensitivity analysis, then structures these drivers into a causal hierarchy to derive an explicit intervention order. Findings demonstrate that upstream governance conditions exert disproportionate influence on socio-economic, cultural, and environmental outcomes, indicating that sequencing based on leverage rather than deficit magnitude yields more coherent reform trajectories. By developing a decision-rule that bridges measurement and governance, the study advances sustainability assessment from prioritisation towards structured intervention sequencing in rapidly developing destinations.