Destination Development and
Institutionalization Strategies
In the OIC Member Countries
14
Tourism may also cause changes to the “indigenous identity” of host communities and their values due to
the increasing “commodification” of traditional, ethnic and religious customs and sites as well as the
pursuit of “standardization” to satisfy tourist need for familiarity.15
The variation in the impact of tourism on destinations can be seen during the different stages of a
destination’s life cycle due to the varying level of supply and demand that characterize the different stages.
As the discovery or exploration stage is mainly characterized by both low supply and demand, impacts of
tourism is minimal on the destination’s economy, environment, society and culture. As the destination
moves towards development, high growth in terms of positive economic impacts are witnessed in areas of
employment and revenue with initially positive impact on environment in terms of conservation efforts
which has also a positive impact on society in terms of civic pride. However, as the destination moves to
the next phase of consolidation, while economic impacts are still mainly positive, damage to the
environment occur as a result of high inflow of tourism. In the stagnation phase, positive economic impacts
decrease and environmental decay increases leading to societal discord and less acceptance to tourism by
local communities. 16
Tourism should also be sustainable so that it can retain a long-term value, both for the destination and
tourists. Sustainable tourism, as defined by the World Tourism Organization, is "tourism that takes full
account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of
visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities." To guarantee long term sustainable
tourism, conservation of natural resources and biodiversity and maintenance of ecological processes,
respect for the cultural heritage and traditional values of society, and fair distribution of tourism’s benefits
to all stakeholders are essential. Furthermore, as the definition implies, the satisfaction of tourist needs is
an important factor for the development of sustainable tourism; tourists need to be made aware of the
importance of sustainable tourism and its practices. To achieve sustainability, continuous measurement
and monitoring of tourism impact is important to ensure necessary measures are taken to take full
advantage of positive impacts and to correct any negative impacts. 17 Research and monitoring and
balancing the needs of different stakeholders consist an integral part of DMOs’ activities.
There are several indicators that destination managers can use to track their destination’s sustainability
performance allowing them to intervene and introduce corrective measures when needed. The UNWTO’s
Indicators of Sustainable Development for Tourism Destinations tracks 40 sustainability issues including
management of natural resources, preservation of cultural heritage, economic leakages, and climate
change among others. The Global Sustainability Criteria for Destinations, provided by the Global
Sustainable Tourism Council, uses performance indicators provides benchmarks for best sustainability
practices around the world, while, the European Tourism Indicator System is used in Europe to monitor
European destinations performance on a number of sustainable tourism criteria. The World Economic
Forum’s Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index provides a comparison of 140 countries’ performance
on enabling environment, travel and tourism policy and enabling conditions, infrastructure, and natural
and cultural resources. 18
15 Impacts of Tourism. (n.d.). Retrieved fro
16 Ritchie, J.R. & Crouch, G. I. (2010). A Model of Destination Competitiveness/Sustainability: Brazilian Perspectives. Brazilian Public
Administration Review 44(5):1049-66
17 Making Tourism More Sustainable: A Guide for Policy Makers (Rep.). (n.d.). UNEP.
Retrieved fro
18 Towards More Effective Impact Measurement in the Tourism Sector (Rep.). (n.d.). World Bank Group. Retrieved from
sector-openconsultationtemplate/phases/wbg_towards_more_effective_impact_measurement_in_the_tourism_sector_consultations.pdf