Sustainable Destination Management

Strategies in the OIC Member Countries

“absorb” tourism, but rather set by the ability of the tourism industry to modify tourism

products.

The community-based model seeks to address the conflict of perspective between the resource-

based and activity-based sustainability models. In this model, limitations to tourism growth are

set through the participation of the community and other stakeholders in decision making

related to the use of resources. Thus, in this model, limits to tourism growth are “socially-

constructed” and dependent on the various stakeholders’ perspective of the threshold beyond

which the negative impacts are unacceptable.

Dimensions and Aims of Sustainable Tourism

Sustainable tourismneeds to take into account the ecological, economic, and social sustainability

of the destination. Sustainable tourism aims to safeguard the natural and cultural heritage of the

destination as well as to ensure the well-being of local communities and the satisfaction of

tourists. This requires efficient destination management, continuous monitoring, and the

cooperation of tourism stakeholders.

Various studies have tried to identify the dimensions or criteria of sustainable tourism. One

study divided sustainability into two areas the human system and the ecosystem, with the

human system covering the economic, political, and socio-cultural spheres in addition to the

quality of the tourism products and services, while the ecosystem covers the environmental

sphere including environmental policies and management, the quality of air and water as well

as the biodiversity of flora and fauna.

The UNWTO identified twelve goals for sustainable tourism, including ensuring the

competitiveness and local prosperity of the destination, improving local employment conditions

in the tourism sector, securing equal distribution of benefits from tourism, and ensuring the

well-being of the local community as well as empowering them through the use of a participatory

approach in tourism planning and decision making, providing tourists with a fulfilling

experience, using resources efficiently, and respecting the cultural heritage of the destination,

protecting the physical integrity, environmental purity and biological diversity of the natural

areas and habitats.

In the following figure, the aims of sustainable tourism are linked to the

triple bottom line approach to illustrate both the continuity and development of the sustainable

tourism concept.

Saarinen, J., (2014). Critical sustainability: Setting the limits to growth and responsibility in tourism.

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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/.

Díaz, M., R., & Rodríguez, T., F., E., (2016). Determining the sustainability factors and performance of a tourism destination

from the stakeholders’ perspective.

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(9), 951-968.

UNWTO. (2013).

Sustainable tourism for development guidebook

. UNWTO.