Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
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Three tourism development agencies – the Danish Coastal and Nature Tourism, the Danish
Business and Conferencing Tourism, and the Danish City Tourism – have also been established
in order to generate growth in their particular field. Each agency develops and implement their
own strategies independently under the umbrella of the national tourism strategy.
Sustainability Strategies
Denmark is one of the world’s top countries when it comes to sustainability. It was ranked 3rd in
the 2018 Environmental Performance Index Report.248 The city of Copenhagen is known for its
progress in waste recycling, clean water, effective infrastructure, a world-leading public
transport system, and the widespread usage of bicycles as a preferred means of transport with
400 kilometers of cycle lanes.249 It is no surprise that it was rated second in the 2016 Global
Destination Sustainability Index with a 79% overall performance rate.250
Denmark suffered a decrease in tourism in the years 2007-2011. Besides the worldwide
financial crisis which affected the sector across the globe, this loss in market share was mainly
attributed to the level of satisfaction in the relationship between price and quality,251 since
Denmark is one of themost expensive countries in Europe, and Copenhagen is ranked the second
most expensive holiday destination.252 Following this period, in June 2014, the Danish
Parliament approved a plan for growth in tourism aiming to 1) increase satisfaction by raising
the quality of services and experiences, 2) boost coastal and rural tourism to attract tourists
from neighboring countries, 3) stimulate city and business tourism to attract tourism from
growth markets, 4) promote tourism under a national strategy.253
The city of Copenhagen is strongly committed to integrative sustainability which takes into
consideration its three dimensions – the economic, the social and the environmental.254 It has a
comprehensive strategy and aims to become the first capital to be carbon-neutral by 2025.255
The capital’s DMO, Wonderful Copenhagen, has an internal sustainability committee led by a
dedicated sustainability manager, as well as a committee with external industry stakeholders,
and a committee with external non-industry stakeholders such as NGOs and authorities.256 Its
strategy is expressed in the Integrated Sustainability document. Examples of steps taken
towards implementing sustainable tourism in the city are its endorsement of the Green Key
program and certification. As stated on its website, “the Green Key award is a leading standard
of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the
tourism industry. This prestigious eco-label represents a commitment by businesses that their
248 Environmental Performance Index. (2018). 2018 EPI report. Retrieved from
249 World Tourism Cities Federation (n.d.). UNWTO/WTCF City Tourism Performance Research Report for Case Study
“Copenhagen” Retrieved from
250 GDS. (2016). Sustainable destination management trends and insights: A path to a brighter future. Retrieved from
251 OECD. (2016), Denmark. in OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2016, Paris: OECD Publishing.
252 Independent. (2017). The 12 most expensive holiday destinations in Europe. Retrieved from
253 OECD. (2016), Denmark. in OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2016. Paris: OECD Publishing.
254 Visit Copenhagen. (n.d.). Environmental policy. Retrieved from
filer/Dokumenter/environmental_policy_2016.pdf.
255 City of Copenhagen. (n.d.). Carbon neutral capital. Retrieved from
capital
256 Global Destination Sustainability Index. (n.d.). Copenhagen, Denmark. Retrieved from