Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
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The Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Tourism Sector Development (BITS) in Jordan project
runs from January 2014 to December 2018 and it has been financed by the UNDP and Global
Environment Facility, with a budget of $3.5 million. 340 This project, which encompasses
strategies and activities, aims to bring the protection of biodiversity to the forefront in national
planning and development projects, especially in areas affected by the travel industry or
potentially developed into attractions. 341
Monitoring and Evaluation of Sustainability
Various indicators are consulted to monitor the sector’s growth, trends and performance,
including numbers of international arrivals, the income generated, tourism’s contribution to
employment, the number and size of locations that provide services and facilities (e.g., the
number of rooms and beds in tourism accommodation establishments, the number of
entertainment centers, souvenir shops, and restaurants), and the numbers of visitors to some of
main sites.342
In the framework of the UNDP Mainstreaming Biodiversity in the Tourism Sector Development
project, certain indicators were developed to assess target achievement. Some of them are the
following, evaluated in a mid-term review:
 The consideration of biodiversity in planning and policy development in tourism by
government, planning authorities, and the private stakeholders, which shows a 50%
achievement. Excellent progress in the development of the Jordan “Tourism and
Biodiversity” Information Management System at MoTA, and the initiation of a strategic
environmental assessment for the tourism sector in Jordan, etc.
 Percentage allocation for biodiversity conservation in tourism development proposals,
which shows that 30% of new proposals for tourism development consider biodiversity
explicitly, whereas prior to the project, only energy and water featured in environmental
considerations.
 Hectares of landscape where impacts on biodiversity are avoided, mitigated or offset has
raised to 209,900 hectares, whereas before there was no planning for the protection
outside Protected Areas.
 Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) scores already achieved target score in
the three protected areas of Dibbi, Wadi Rum, and Petra.343
Lessons Learned
Jordan has taken some steps towards environmental protection and enhancing community
involvement, but it needs develop more detailed regulations and policies to maintain growth
and long-term sustainability.
340 UNDP. (n.d.). Project details. Retrieved from
341 UNDP. (2006). Mainstreaming biodiversity into tourism development in Jordan in Jordan (BITS) project. Retrieved from
342 Shdeifat, O., Mohsen, M., Mustafa, M., al-Ali, Y., & al-Mhaisen, B., (2006). Tourism in Jordan. Retrieved from
.pdf.
343 Vousden, D. (2016). Mainstream biodiversity conservation in tourism sector development in Jordan, Retrieved from
develo.html.