Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
6
Managing Demand and Seasonality Effects: Destinations have used marketing tools, including
product/service offerings, pricing and promotion, as well as regulations to manage tourism
seasonality and to help tourism remain within the destination’s carrying capacity.
Product/service offerings and price can be used to attract different types of visitors; depending
on the carrying capacity of the site, DMOs can target high numbers of low budget tourists or low
numbers of high budget tourists. In Slovenia, the Skocjan Caves facilities, including its visitor
center andwalkways, are built in a way tomake the caves accessible to a large number of tourists
safely while preserving the caves at the same time.18 In Italy, the Tourism Strategic Plan aims to
better distribute visitor flows into areas that are not recognized as tourist destinations with the
objective of decongesting saturated areas and improving competitiveness by widening the
product offer and establishing a more sustainable model. 19
Managing theEnvironmental Impactsof Tourism : Thenegative environmental impacts of tourism
have garnered increased attention recently and have been the focus of many governmental and non-
governmental initiatives at international, regional and local levels. The tourismindustryhas launched
several efforts at conserving non-renewable resources, reducing pollution and waste., and planning
future tourism developments. Governments have employed a number of strategies to promote best
practices in this area, from providing support and financial incentives to tourism businesses and
imposing taxes on non-renewable resources consumption to mandating environmental impact
assessments. In Germany, the federal government has supported many tourism industry and
NGOs, such as the Hotel and Catering Energy Campaign initiated by the German Hotel and
Restaurant Association. This effort identifies specific energy and water consumption and carbon
emissions reduction measures and voluntary audits for the domestic hospitality industry
leading to accreditation. Germany also has a mandatory environmental impact assessment
system aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and monitoring water and energy usage in
the tourism industry.20 Laws and regulations have been the primary tools used to align tourism
development planning and activities with sustainability objectives. Zoning regulations have
been used to indicate the areas suitable for different kinds of tourism development, while
building standards and regulations specify the design, density and height of buildings, building
materials, and waste disposal systems for tourismdevelopments in different areas. In Costa Rica,
the National Sustainable Tourism Plan identifies the 10 areas and specifies a General Land Use
and Tourism Development Plan for each of the 10 areas.21
Tourist Satisfaction: Tourist satisfaction is vital to the sustainability of tourism; strategies in
this area include the provision of innovative products, ensuring a quality experience and
monitoring tourist satisfaction to take corrective actions when needed. In the Philippines,
setting limits of the number of divers allowed helps reduce stress on the reefs as well as help to
ensure that tourists have a high-quality experience. In Estonia, “bogshoe” walks at the Soomaa
National Park using snowshoes offer a unique experience that allows tourists to fully explore
remote areas of the park and to walk over the delicate bog vegetation without causing damage.22
In Sweden, a four-year initiative was launched in 2012 to improve hospitality services quality
18 UNWTO. (2012). Destination wetlands supporting sustainable tourism. Retrieved from
19 Please refer to Italy’s case study for further information and sources.
20 The Economist Intelligence Unit. (2017). The sustainable tourism index: Enhancing the global travel environment. Retrieved
from
21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. (2013). Sustainable development of tourism destinations. Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation.
22 UNWTO. (2012). Destination wetlands supporting sustainable tourism. Retrieved from