Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
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In the case of East Africa Northern Corridor, the Standard Gauge Railway project was launched
to connect the three countries. As of mid-2018, the Mombasa–Nairobi section of the railway
was completed, and the Nairobi–Naivasha was 50 percent completed. Financing options were
also being explored for other sections, including Naivasha-Kisumu, Kisumu-Malaba, and
Malaba-Kampala. 194 It is also worth noting that there are currently various initiatives to
improve regional connectivity for the OIC countries in Africa. As an example of these initiatives,
the Dakar-Port Sudan railway, support by the OIC, links several OIC African countries, including
Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Gambia, the Republic of Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal,
Sudan, and Uganda.195
In the case of the Silk Road, in Kazakhstan, efforts are made to improve the road networks
under the state program “Nurlijol,” which will consist of a network of highways that will
enhance accessibility to different nodes along the Silk Road TC. Land transportation services
are also being improved with planned routes between China and Horgos or Turkistan and then
from there to Tashkent or Bishkek. A railway connection between Tashkent to Turkestan is also
being discussed by the governments of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.196
Furthermore, the UNWTO Silk Road Programme collaborated with UBM Routes, an Affiliate
Member of UNWTO, to improve air connectivity and encourage “open sky” policies across the
Silk Road. Two Silk Road events were held by UBM in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2014 and 2015 for
leading airports, airlines, DMOs, officials, and aviation stakeholders to improve air connectivity
for the Silk Road countries. 197
In the case of the Holy Family TC, in Egypt, the Egyptian Government has worked on improving
the road network connecting the Holy Family sites. It has set a three-phase plan to improve
accessibility to the corridor. It has allocated $3.5 million to improve the infrastructure in the
first phase. 198
The examples from the OIC MDTCs clearly show that infrastructure development represents a
challenging area for the OIC MDTCs, especially for countries facing financial constraints. More
efforts to increase connectivity are clearly needed for the OIC countries to benefit from the full
potential of MDTCs. Regional cooperation, with support from regional organizations, may be
instrumental in this area especially for MDTCs that consist of members from the same region.
Social Value Assessment
The success of MDTCs hinges on engaging and providing added value to various stakeholders
in the corridor member countries. Engagement and consultation of the multiple stakeholders
require establishing suitable platforms such as advisory boards, which include experts from
academic and professional backgrounds. In the case of the Umayyad Route, both a Local
Support Group and an Advisory Committee provide a platform for cooperation and engagement
194 Karuhanga, James.2018.10 things to know about the revamped Northern Corridor Integration Projects initiative. The New
Times Publication Website.
195 The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC). 2017. International
Tourism in the OIC Countries: Prospects and Challenges.
196 Please refer to Silk Road case study for detailed information and references.
197 UNWTO. 2016. Silk Road Action Plan 2016 / 2017.
198 Al-Monitor Website. 2019. Egypt to boost spiritual tourism through the Holy Family trail.