Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
58
2. OIC Multi-Destination Tourism Corridors
Many of the existing OIC MDTCs have members from both the OIC and non-OIC countries, such
as the most iconic MDTC in the OIC region, the Silk Road, which was initiated by UNWTO in
1994. The development of MDTCs in OIC countries has significant potential considering the
variety of resources present across the OIC countries, from cultural to natural heritage sites,
with some being shared by more than one OIC country. 175
The prevailing cultural and natural heritage shared by some of the OIC countries, as in the case
of the countries of the Arabian Peninsula, can facilitate establishing MDTCs around a common
cultural theme. In addition to this common heritage, the robust infrastructure networks from
modern airports to functional road networks in some of the OIC countries, such as the GCC
countries, can provide a strong base for the development of MDTCs.176
However, there are several challenges that face OIC countries in developing MDTCs from
differences in terms of infrastructure, resources, and tourism appeal to their different legal
frameworks.177 In this chapter, an overview of the select existing OIC MDTCs is undertaken,
outlining their types, how they were developed, managed, and marketed. The successes and
challenges in developing and maintaining the existing OIC MDTCs will also be presented.
2.1. Overview of the Types of Existing OIC Tourism Corridors
From a thematic perspective, the existing OIC MDTCs can be classified into cultural, such as the
Silk Road, or natural heritage corridors, such as the East Africa Northern Corridor, based on the
theme of attractions they offer. Based on their design, OIC corridors can also be classified as
linear corridors having either one or several start points and one end point, such as the Silk
Road, or network corridors consisting of various points that are not necessarily linked
physically or consequentially, such as the Umayyad Route. MDTCs can be either based on
historical origins, such as the Holy Family or current narratives, such as the Umayyad Route.
They can also be transnational only, such as east Africa Northern Corridor, or extend beyond
the borders of one continent, such as the Silk Road. Some the OIC MDTCs have developed
informally, i.e., created by tourists or tourism companies with little or no support from
government, such as the Holy Family Route. The following figure presents a classification of the
select OIC MDTCs.
Table 17: Types of Select OIC Tourism Corridors
Corridor Theme Design Historical
Origin
Territorial
coverage
Development
Silk Road Culture Linear Historical Intercontinental Formal
Umayyad Route Culture Network Current Intercontinental Formal
Holy Family Culture Linear Historical Intercontinental Informal
East Africa Northern
Corridor
Nature Network Current Transnational Formal
Abraham Path Cultural Network Current Intercontinental Informal
175 The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC). 2017. International
Tourism in the OIC Countries: Prospects and Challenges.
176 Shackley, Myra. 2002. The Frankincense Route: A proposed cultural itinerary for the Middle East. Historic Environment,
v.16 (2): 12-17.
177 Ibid.