Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
158
Table 28: Sustainability - Best Practices versus OIC Examples
Best
Practices
- The Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark signed a “Joint Declaration on
the Protection of the Wadden Sea” in 1982.
- In the case of the Danube TC, well-known destinations are combined
with less-known tourist destinations in tour packages offered by travel
agents to improve traffic to these sites and lower pressure on the
highly-frequented sites.
OIC - The Silk Road 1999 Khiva Declaration calling on Central Asian
countries to preserve their cultural and natural heritage and to
promote sustainable tourism.
- In the case of the Holy Family, in Jordan, the TC sites are protected
through heritage legislation with a construction moratorium issued
preventing any new construction projects except those exclusively
dedicated to the protection of archaeological remains.
Funding
Funding is a major challenge for MDTCs in general, with global MDTCs trying to diversify
funding sources, both externally and internally, to ensure the sustainability of MDTCs, as shown
in the example of European routes in general and Destination Napoleon in particular. Most of
the OIC MDTCs seem to be dependent on financial and/or technical support from international
and regional organizations, while the other OIC MDTCs are primarily financed through
government allocations of corridor countries. In the case of the Silk Road, which has a more
diversified funding strategy, its funding levels are still reportedly low. Diversifying funding
needs to be a top priority to ensure the sustainability of the existing OIC MDTCs. Encouraging
private sector investments and contributions can play an important role in diversifying and
increasing OIC MDTCs funding.
Table 29: Funding - Best Practices versus OIC Examples
Best
Practices
- The routes of the Council of Europe diversifying funding from internal
and external sources, including country corridor public and private
contributions as well as EU funding.
- Smaller towns part of Destination Napoleon raising funds from tourism
professionals and local communities.
OIC - Silk Road diversified funding from external sources such as
international organizations and internal sources in the form of TC
countries' public and private sector contributions.
- Holy Family TC in Egypt dependent on government funding.
- Abraham Path dependent on external funding through the World Bank
and bilateral donors.
- Umayyad Route 80% funded by EU instruments.