Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
88
strategic principles of sustainability, innovation, and accessibility are integrated in all those four
themes.302
Italy’s vision and mission for the following six years is established in its Tourism Strategic Plan
2017-2022, a result of collaboration between public and private sector operators, such as the
Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism, the regional authorities, other central
government administrations and territorial entities, and stakeholders. It aims to consolidate the
position of leadership on the international tourism market. It emphasizes a new collaborative
model between all stakeholders to coordinate all strategies and develop policies, as well as
monitor the performance of these. It is an integrative approach to bringing together the different
authorities and stakeholders to create a participatory governance and thus overcome the
fragmentation in the industry, and emphasizes sustainability as a key element for the successful
implementation of the plan.303
Funding
The Italian national budget for the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism in 2018
was €2.4 billion. Tourism also receives support from the Culture and Innovation 2014-20
Program financed by the European Union Structural Funds with a budget of €490 million. A
Tourism Investment Fund was created in 2014. It is controlled by the government and managed
by the National Investment Bank and has a ceiling of €250 million. The fund operates as a bridge
between public assets in need of development and the private real estate market.304
Each regional government has a department specific to the promotion and management of
destinations. The general structure of the DMO includes administration, promotion, and
management of different segments (art and culture tourism, nature tourism, sun and beach, etc.),
and normally a team in charge of sustainable projects and policies. The funding of these
departments within the regional or local DMO depend very much on regional government
budgets and administration. The nationwide strategy is a broad one and regions are free to
develop specific sustainable projects for their locations and fund them as they see suitable. The
case of Sardinia is interesting. It set up Visit South Sardinia as a DMO and adopted European
programs and standards for sustainable tourism.
The Interreg MED program is a community of 13 European countries from the northern shore
of the Mediterranean that came together to promote sustainable growth. One of the program's
areas is tourism. Its policies on sustainable tourism main aim is to enhance the development of
a sustainable and responsible coastal and maritime tourism in the MED area. It is funded by the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Italy has been allocated €9.5 million. These
funds are destined to support projects like the underwater archeological park in Baia, a
phytodepuration plant in Marina di Ragussa, Sicily, the development of ecotourism packages in
protected areas, and the implementation of the green beach sustainable model in three different
beaches.305
302 OECD. (2018). Italy . In OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2018. Paris: OECD Publishing.
303 Director-General for Tourism. (2017). The strategic plan for tourism 2017-2022 . Retrieved from
304 OECD. (2018). Italy . In OECD Tourism Trends and Policies 2018. Paris: OECD Publishing.
305 Directorate-General for Tourism. (2018). Il turismo sostenibile nell’area mediterranea:
l’esperienza dei progetti INTERREG MED. Retrieved from -