Proceedings of the 12th Meeting of
The COMCEC Tourism Working Group
23
Annex 3: The Policy Recommendations
THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS HIGLIGHTED BY THE 12TH MEETING
OF THE TOURISM WORKING GROUP
The COMCEC Tourism Working Group (TWG) has successfully held its 13th Meeting
on February 13th, 2019 in Ankara, Turkey with the theme of “Sustainable Destination
Management Strategies in the OIC Member Countries.” During the Meeting, Tourism
Working Group, made deliberations on sustainable destination management strategies
in the OIC Member Countries in tourism sector. Accordingly, the participants has come
up with some policy recommendations.
Policy Advice 1. Improving community participation fair representation by offering
human resources training, capacity building and certification programs, enhancing
local value chain, integrating local production into procurement and minimize
leakages, encouraging local entrepreneurship in tourism, conducting media
campaigns as well as raising tourist awareness about tourism sustainability.
Rationale:
When a tourism culture is established in the destination, locals are likely to participate
more in decision-making processes and because they are the real owners of the
destination, they are more likely to protect it. When for example, tourism investments
are taken over by foreigners, who employ outsiders and import the inputs and raw
materials, locals would be alienated with the destination and the resources. Thus, the
local involvement at every possible channel should be encouraged and facilitated while
continuously improving tourism’s direct and indirect benefits and value chain for locals.
Such tools include percentage of local employment rules, incubation, credit facilities
and support for potential local entrepreneurs, integrating local products to tourisms
supply chain and promoting a sustainable tourism culture while minimizing leakages
from the local economy.
Policy Advice 2. Identifying KPIs for sustainable tourism development based on
international standards and climate change agreement to monitor each country’s
performance against a set of pre-determined indicators and to encourage remedial
actions when targets are not met.
Rationale:
One of the most important factors for achieving sustainable outcomes at the destination
level is effective and independent monitoring of current practices on site. Since