Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
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In the case of the Umayyad Route, research was undertaken to analyze the tourism
infrastructure in the corridor member countries and the design of the theme and itineraries as
well as the identification of best practices for cultural MDTCs. 205 The Jordanian partner for the
Umayyad Route, the NGO Cultural Technologies for Heritage and Conservation, has also
researched the historical value of the sites to be included in the Umayyad corridor and also
assessed their condition in terms of whether restoration is needed.206
In the case of the Holy Family TC, in Egypt, the Ministry of Tourism, in cooperation with the
Coptic Church, researched the Holy Family sites to decide on the sites to be included in the TC.
The Coptic Church formed a committee of bishops to draft the map of the sites visited by the
Holy Family during their journey in Egypt. Currently, the Ministry of Tourism is preparing to
apply to UNESCO to consider designating some of the TC sites as World Heritage Sites. 207
Examples from the OIC MDTCs show considerable and successful efforts at theme formulation
and asset identification. In the Silk Road TC case, the support provided by UNWTO has also
facilitated the identification of road segments between corridor nodes, which can be used to
build itineraries.
2.3. Governance and Management of OIC Tourism Corridors
As illustrated in the previous chapter through the best practice examples, good governance
starts with the development of an organizational structure with clearly defined roles for the
various bodies involved in corridor management and promotion. Formulating legislation to
facilitate travel to the various corridor member countries can also help in improving tourism
flow to the corridor countries. To ensure effective management, monitoring performance is
essential. Best practice examples from global MDTCs also show cooperation between multiple
stakeholders and continued initiatives for capacity building of tourism stakeholders.
Diversifying funding sources is also another area where there are concerted efforts by MDTC
management to ensure their sustainability.
Figure 22: Tourism Corridor Governance and Management Best Practices
Governance Structure
Some OIC corridors have adopted the public-private partnership model, which encourages
higher levels of collaboration between public and private entities, ensuring to a large extent the
205 ENPI CBCMED Website.
206 Taqniyat At-Turath (CulTech) and the Local Support Group. 2015.Strategic Local Action Plan for Jordan Umayyad Project:
A strategic ENPI-CBCMED Project.
207 Al-Monitor Website. 2019. Egypt to boost spiritual tourism through the Holy Family trail.