Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
64
with the various stakeholders, including public sector bodies, the tourism industry, local and
international organizations, as well as universities.199
Local communities also need to be involved in MDTCs’ development as well as provided with
support through various initiatives to encourage their involvement. Supporting local tourism
businesses and local communities in the development and provision of tourism products and
services can be instrumental in creating jobs and increasing economic benefits for local
communities in corridor countries. In the case of the Umayyad Route, in Jordan, efforts were
made to raise awareness of the local communities of Umayyad heritage and the benefits from
the TC. Support was also provided for community-based tourism initiatives and local
handicrafts to increase economic benefits and ensure value-added for local communities.200
In the case of the Abraham Path, support was provided to local communities in the
development of guesthouses using a “shared cost approach” to fund guesthouses renovations
and furnishing. The Abraham Path Initiative, the NGO managing the corridor, split the cost with
the guesthouses’ owners while retaining ownership of the furnishings for five years, after
which ownership is relinquished to the guesthouses’ owners. They have also assisted rural
women in starting micro-businesses selling food and various products to the people following
the trail.201
In the case of the Holy Family TC, in Egypt, the government is planning hospitality and language
training for local communities in Upper Egypt to enable them to provide tourism services for
tourists visiting the Holy Family sites. The fact that the Holy Family sites are located in areas
that are economically disadvantaged will help create better employment opportunities for local
communities. 202
Theme Formulation
An essential first step in planning and establishment of MDTCs is the formulation of a
transnational/intercontinental theme which requires extensive research with the aid of
experts from historical, cultural and practical perspectives as well as a thorough assessment of
the tourism assets that can be included and their potential appeal to tourists. In the case of the
Silk Road, the UNESCO and governments of corridor countries have undertaken extensive
research to identify the tourism assets to be included from ancient cities and forts to mountain
passes as well as religious and archeological sites. 203
A study conducted by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), supported
by the UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, provided an analysis of sites along the Silk Roads in
terms of uniqueness and distribution. The study made use of historical accounts and tentative
lists of locations provided by corridor member countries as well as published maps and online
secondary data. In the context of the study, major nodes or large cities along the Silk Roads
were identified as well as route segments between those nodes. 204
199 Taqniyat At-Turath (CulTech) and the Local Support Group. 2015.Strategic Local Action Plan for Jordan Umayyad Project:
A strategic ENPI-CBCMED Project.
200 Umayyad Route 8th Bulletin available from the Umayyad Route Website.
201 Teller, Matthew. 2018. Hike Palestine. Aramco World Website.
202 Al-Monitor Website. 2019. Egypt to boost spiritual tourism through the Holy Family trail.
203 UNWTO. 2016. Silk Road Action Plan 2016 / 2017.
204 ICOMOS. 2014. The Silk Roads: an ICOMOS Thematic Study.