Sustainable Destination Management

Strategies in the OIC Member Countries

The Silk Road demonstrates a less hierarchical structure in comparison with the GMS TC. As

the following figure illustrates, UNWTO leads the efforts in providing a platform for

coordination and alliance building as well as fundraising for the corridor with other UN

agencies, such as UNESCO and UNDP, providing support for the various Silk Road initiatives.

The Silk Road Task Force, which includes representatives from the National Tourism

Organizations and the tourism businesses of Silk Road countries, formulate strategies and

prescribe actions while Silk Road member bodies collaborate on Silk Road activities as well as

implement local action plans and strategies.

Figure 4: Silk Road Governance Structure

Source: UNWTO (2014)

Enabling Legislation:

Best practices from global MDTCs show efforts at travel facilitation,

whether through the provision of unified visas, as in the case of the Schengen visa, or facilitating

entry requirements and entry procedures, as in the case of the Global Entry and Nexus

Programs. While there are some initiatives for cooperation in travel facilitation in the matter

of some of the existing OIC MDTCs, there is still a long way to go to ease restrictions within

existing travel corridors. There were many talks regarding unified visas for several tourism

corridors; however, only the three countries of the East Africa Northern Corridor have this

currently.

Table 5: Enabling Legislation - Best Practices versus OIC Examples

Best

Practices

Europe’s Schengen visa facilitating travel between country members of

European TCs and revised Schengen visa regulations facilitating procedures for

a short-stay tourist visa.

Facilitation of entry procedures using Trusted Traveler Programs, such as the

United States’ Global Entry and Nexus Programs.

OIC

With the notable exception of the three East Africa Northern Corridor

countries, no OIC TC has a unified visa.

88% of the global population needs a visa before traveling to Silk Road

countries. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan working on developing a unified Silk

Road visa for Central Asian countries.