Proceedings of the 12th Meeting of
The COMCEC Tourism Working Group
9
For Jordan, another desk-based case study, the lessons learned were that financial and
technical assistance from bilateral donors and international bodies are instrumental, Jordan
has taken steps towards sustainable tourism but needs further regulation, and that the private
sector is involved in strategy development at a national level, but local/ regional engagement
can be improved.
For Palestine, the last desk-based case study, the lessons learned are that the political and
social circumstances of a destination condition directly affect its growth, the improvement of
human resources through guide training programs, education, and language teaching has to be
established in order to preserve Palestine’s historical, cultural, social, and religious heritage in
the city of Al Quds and to protect it.
Next, Mr. Shikoh compared the OIC member country sustainable tourism practices with global
best practices for each of the five parameters discussed in his first presentation. In terms of
creating a supportive regulatory environment, in non-OIC countries, governments develop and
enforce policies, while private sector and NGOs implement sustainable practices. Whereas in
the OIC member countries, mainly governments in some instances non-governmental
organizations, are involved in promoting sustainable tourism practices.
In terms of stakeholder engagement, in non-OIC countries, umbrella organizations ensure
coordination among public, private and non-governmental organizations; while the OIC
member countries have some formal structure that aligns the broader tourism industry with
sustainability efforts but falls short on the process of ongoing engagement and consultation.
As for effective sustainable tourism strategies, strategies in non-OIC countries covering
sustainable tourism are comprehensive, and the tourism sector is encouraged through
incentives for sustainable practices. Whereas in the OIC member countries, many of the
initiatives are still emergent.
Concerning funding, both public and private domestic sources are used to fund sustainable
tourism initiatives in the OIC and leading non-OIC countries.
In terms of monitoring destination sustainability, non-OIC countries have formal procedures in
place for continuous monitoring and reporting on destination sustainability, and indicators
used are internationally recognized and comprehensive. Whereas for the OIC member
countries, the focus is on measuring the economic impacts of tourism and to some extent on
measuring environmental impacts, but there is a lack of formal procedures for continuous
monitoring and reporting on destination sustainability.