Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
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resources and culture, direct contact with Palestinian citizens, fair wages, fair distribution of
income amongst product manufacturers, providers, sellers and intermediaries, among other
recommendations. It also encourages hotels, guest houses and restaurants to introduce
environmentally-friendly principles to their operation.366
The United Nations Development Fund signed an agreement with Al-Quds University in 2013
with the objective of protecting and preserving the Palestinian cultural heritage in Al Quds’ Old
City. The program is to fund and support the refurbishment and protection of the Old City and
to improve conditions of its residents by renovating residence buildings and enhancing tourism
services. It aims to achieve this through rehabilitation and revitalization of important buildings
and complexes like Hammam al-Ayn and Hammam al-Shifa, al-Madrasa al-Kilaniyya and related
housing units, among others. The program will also help to enhance capacity building and
training in the fields of conservation, rehabilitation, and management of historic buildings and
sites, and will create employment opportunities in these fields for young professionals.367
Other initiatives by organizations such as the Alternative TourismGroup, the JerusalemTourism
Cluster, and Eyewitness Palestine, very much focus on protecting Palestinian identity and
culture, and promoting responsible and politically-aware tourism to provide a different
narrative and bring social and economic justice to the occupied territories.
Stakeholder Engagement
Collaboration among private stakeholders is key for the sustainability of tourism in Al Quds. The
Jerusalem Tourism Cluster is a platform that brings together stakeholders and organizations
directly or indirectly related to the tourism industry, including the commercial, cultural,
religious, technological, and educational sectors, in order to create a successful and profitable
scenario and enhance competitiveness through economic growth. It also advocates for
protection and illustrates Palestinians’ distinctive identity in Al Quds. One of the Cluster’s
objectives is to develop the concept of community-based tourism in Al Quds. This type of tourism
emphasizes the need for the sector’s activities to clearly and positively impact and benefit the
local community, particularly women - to include them through different institutions and
programs into the management and decision-making processes of the sector in Al Quds. It
attempts to defend and protect Al Quds’ Palestinian character and clearly ascribe the city’s
tourism product to it. It focuses on capacity building and empowering local communities, with
an emphasis on supporting women and integrating them into the tourism value chain.368
Funding
As mentioned, there is a lack of coordinated planning in the industry and sustainability is not
regulated, so public funding is minimal. Foreign funding from international organizations has
been used to support sustainable tourism activities in many instances. An example of this is the
UNDP collaboration with Al Quds University to preserve Palestinian cultural heritage. The
UNDP, in 2013, launched the aforementioned project of $2.4 million to help protect the
366 A Palestinian Initiative (n.d.). Code of conduct for tourism in the holy land. Retrieved from -
367 United Nations. (2013). European union and UNDP sign a €2.4 million agreement with Al Quds university
to preserve Palestinian cultural heritage. Retrieved from
agreement-with-al-quds-university-to-preserve-palestinian-cultural-heritage-undp-papp-press-release/.
368 Jerusalem Visitor Guide. (n.d.). Jerusalem Tourism Cluster. Retrieved from