Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
51
municipalities in nodes along the corridor. This funding is financed through budgetary
allocations and product sales, such as guidebooks.147
External denoting that funding is from sources outside of the TC countries such as bilateral
donors, regional and international organizations, and financial institutions. Bilateral donors
have been actively providing funding for the development and maintenance of MDTCs, as in the
case of the Jesuit Routes with the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation providing
grants to improve the services at the Santisima Trinidad of Parana and Jesus of Tavarangue
missions in Paraguay.148
Several regional organizations offer funding for MDTCs, as in the case of the European Union
(EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Baltic Sea Culinary Route is
one of the MDTCs that received EU funding; the corridor promotes gastro-tourism across
Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland. 149 The European
Mozart Ways also received EU funding through various programs, including the LEADER
program.150 It is important to note that access to EU funding is subject to conditions which may
limit access to it for certain European MDTC countries. An example of this is the Transromanica
TC, where some corridor member countries are unable to access EU funding as it requires that
the funds provided be matched by recipients. 151
International organizations have supported many MDTC initiatives by providing funding for
research for initial and ongoing corridor development as well as technical advice. The UNESCO
route program provided support for the Silk Road and the Slave Route. Both UNESCO and
UNWTO helped promote the Silk Road. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and
the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) have provided funding
to the Silk Road and the Caravan Route in North Africa. 152
Funding for the Greater Mekong Subregion TC comes from both internal and external sources,
with each of the six member countries making annual contributions as well as bilateral donors
and the Asian Development Bank providing support for its operations. The annual contribution
of each country amounted to $15,000, with an anticipated increase in 2019 to $20,000,
increasing total yearly contributions from member countries between $90,000 and $120,000.
The Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) is currently in the process of making the
necessary changes in its organization's legal standing, into an international organization, to
enable it to apply for external funding. 153
In the case of the Danube TC, both external and internal sources are used for funding the
Danube Competence Center. External funding accounts for around 80% of the budget, while
internal sources account for the rest. Various EU instruments contribute to the financing of the
Danube TC, such as the European Regional Development Fund, the Instrument for Pre-
Accession Assistance, and the European Neighborhood Instrument. Internal funding is mainly
147 Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.2013. European Cultural Routes: A Practical Guide.
148 UNWTO (2015), Affiliate Members Global Reports, Volume twelve – Cultural Routes and Itineraries, UNWTO, Madrid.
149 UNWTO (UNWTO) and European Travel Commission. 2017. Handbook on Marketing Transnational Tourism Themes and
Routes.
150 Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.2013. European Cultural Routes: A Practical Guide.
151 Council of Europe. 2010. Impact of European Cultural Routes on SMEs’ innovation and competitiveness.
152 UNWTO (2015), Affiliate Members Global Reports, Volume twelve – Cultural Routes and Itineraries, UNWTO, Madrid.
153 Please refer to the Greater Mekong Subregion case study for references and more details.