Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
20
Introduction
Defining Sustainable Tourism
As of 2017, tourism accounted for 10% of both global GDP and total employment, highlighting
the importance of this sector for sustainable development especially considering its forecasted
growth by 3.3% a year until 2030.44 Concerns regarding the negative impacts of tourism, which
started with the upsurge of mass tourism in the 1960s, led to the rise of “green tourism,”
however, the concept of “sustainable tourism” didn’t gain heightened attention until the early
1990s.45 The most widely-used definition for sustainable tourism is the one used by the World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which proposes that “sustainable tourism development meets
the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for
the future. It is envisaged as leading to the management of all resources in such a way that
economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity,
essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems”.46
The Need for Sustainable Tourism
Governments around the globe have realized that tourism can have a negative impact on a
destination’s natural assets, such in the case of Thailand’s Koh Tachai island which was
indefinitely closed to visitors. Local communities in many destinations have become vocal
protesting the perceived negative effects of tourism. In a number of European cities such as
Barcelona and Amsterdam, local communities have led protests calling for protection against
congestion and low air quality.47 It is forecasted that tourism growth up to 2050, without further
interventions to improve sustainability, will lead to an increase of 111% in energy consumption,
105% in greenhouse gas emissions, 150% in water consumption, and 252% in solid waste
disposal. However, with targeted efforts in the areas of energy and water efficiency, emissions
mitigation and solid waste management, this scenario could be changed with a reduction of 18%
in water consumption, 44% in energy supply and demand, and 52% in carbon dioxide
emissions.48
COMCEC’s (cite) previous study “Destination Development and Institutionalization strategies in
the OIC Member Countries,” provides an overview of the impact of tourism on destinations
outlining both positive and negative economic, social, and environmental impacts as illustrated
in the following figure. While in general, the economic impact of tourism has been
predominantly positive for host communities, its socio-cultural and environmental impacts can
be at best described as mixed. As the following figure illustrates, the positive economic impacts
44 UNWTO (2018). Baseline report on the integration of sustainable consumption and production patterns into tourism policies.
Retrieved from
45 UNESCO. (2009). Sustainable tourism development in UNESCO designated sites in South-Eastern Europe. Retrieved from
view/news/sustainable_tourism_development_in_unesco_designated_sites_i/.
46 Díaz, M., R., & Rodríguez, T., F., E., (2016). Determining the sustainability factors and performance of a tourism destination
from the stakeholders’ perspective. Sustainability 8(9), 951-968.
47 The Economist Intelligence Unit. (2017). The sustainable tourism index: Enhancing the global travel environment. Retrieved
from
48 UNEP. (2011). Towards a green economy: Pathways to sustainable development and poverty eradication - A synthesis for
policy makers. Retrieved from