Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
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the future. The Danube Competence Center, for example, is extending its cycling route network
to include new experiences over time.
Social Value Assessment: The measurement of the impact of tourism corridors is often a
challenge for multilateral corridors. Distinct data are often not available at the country level.
Nevertheless, it is vital to assess the impact any initiative can have on stakeholders. Consulting
local stakeholders on the potential implications the tourism corridor will have on them is highly
recommended. This can be done through direct interviews or meetings in small groups.
Through technology, a larger sample group can be assessed for quantitative research.
It is a good idea to set strategic goals that the collaborative framework aims to achieve through
the jointly invested resources. Goals and strategies should be published in a joint strategy
document (e.g., The Greater Mekong Subregion Tourism Sector Strategy 16), which should then
be renewed every two to five years rolling and also includes a promotion plan and action steps.
It is also recommended that strategies should be based on UN Strategic Development Goals.
This would also connect the strategy directly with any benefits stakeholders, especially local
communities.
Formulating Theme: This helps stakeholders to collaboratively and efficiently promote a
tourism corridor. The theme can be simple, such as the HANSA Culinary Route, or broad, with
sub-corridors, such as Mekong Tourism. The final theme should be defined clearly by the
working group and agreed upon by all parties. Brand consultancy is recommended at this stage
to find the best solution for the destinations.
The Danube Competence Center, for example, benefits from a strong existing brand, “The
Danube River,” and products created around this brand. They didn't need to create a new
brand. In contract, the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) created Mekong Tourism
as a new brand, which had to be promoted as a single destination. The Mekong river was not
well known internationally and was not associated with the six countries it crosses. This
allowed the MTCO to have a “clean start,” which benefits any online activity because of limited
online competition for a similar theme/brand. Once a theme has been established, more
detailed branding activities should be conducted — more on this under Marketing and
Promotions.
Once a tourism corridor has been established, and depending on its type, it can be extended.
Policies to extend a corridor usually involve the member countries, which need to decide if
another country or region should be added to the corridor.
Setting Up a Governance Structure: To set up and create successful tourism corridors,
countries must develop policies for cooperation in the field. A long-term approach might be a
separate secretariat, such as the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office, which administers a
joint working group among the participating countries. Another option would be to create a
public-private partnership that promotes products in the corridor, such as the Danube
Competence Center. Then, depending on the importance of the region and the prospective
benefits for stakeholders, it is advisable to create official policies and define responsibilities for
each corridor (or a group of corridors). Also, the scope of the corridor has to be defined. Does
it only concern tourism or also other economic factors related to tourism, such as
infrastructure, education, ICT.
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