Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
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and Industry, the association "Mediterranean Liaisons" and the Arab League Educational,
Cultural and Scientific Organization. From Lebanon, the stakeholders involved include the
Safadi Foundation, the Urban Planning Institute of the Lebanese American University, and the
Municipality of Jbeil Byblos.232
In Jordan, the stakeholders cooperating in the Umayyad Route include public and private
entities as well as non-governmental organizations from the seven member countries of the
corridor. As an example, from Tunisia, the stakeholders involved include the Tunisian Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, the association "Mediterranean Liaisons" and the Arab League
Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization. From Lebanon, the stakeholders involved
include the Safadi Foundation, the Urban Planning Institute of the Lebanese American
University, and the Municipality of Jbeil Byblos.233
As the examples show, in the case of both the Silk Road and the Umayyad Route TCs, the
existence of formal platforms for collaboration facilitates the involvement of various
stakeholders in the activities of the TCs. The Holy Family TC, on the other hand, has no formal
platforms for collaboration. However, efforts were still made to involve relevant stakeholders.
It is worth noting that the existence of formal platforms can ensure better representation of
various stakeholders and efficient communication, improving collaboration.
Capacity Building
Effective management of MDTCs necessitates the presence of qualified personnel, making
capacity building an essential component for management. In the case of the Silk Road, the
Quality Guide Training Initiative, launched by UNWTO in 2015, was organized for tour guides
from five Silk Road countries, namely China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan. The training aimed to create an international pool of Silk Road heritage guides and
Silk Road heritage guide trainers. A Silk Road Guides Handbook has also been developed in the
context of this initiative. Another UNWTO capacity building initiative targeted tourism officials
from corridor member countries providing them with training on sustainable and
transnational tourism development.234 UNWTO also organized a seminar on the importance of
using digital marketing tools and enhancing the presence of the Silk Road brand on social
media.
In the case of the Umayyad Route, Jordan, Lebanon, and Tunisia have provided training and
capacity building to various stakeholders. In Jordan, training was provided to the tourism
industry in the areas of management and marketing in addition to the provision of training to
increase awareness of the Umayyad Route and cultural itineraries among professionals from
the tourism industry as well as students of tourism and archeology faculties of King Hussien,
Yarmouk, and Jordan Universities.235
In Lebanon, training is provided to tour guides to provide them with detailed information on
the Umayyad Route theme and itinerary as well as storytelling in terms of the significance of
the attractions to the theme. Tour guides are required to attend at least two training sessions
and participate in one filed trip to be certified as Umayyad Route guides. In Tunisia, training
organized by the Umayyad Route partners, Liaisons Méditerranéennes, the Italo-Tunisian
232 Umayyad Route Website.
233 Ibid.
234 Please refer to the Silk Road case study for detailed information and references.
235 Umayyad Route 9th Newsletter available from the Umayyad Route website.