Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
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Chamber of Commerce and the international organization ALECSO, focused on best practices
and linking cultural MDTCs to existing tourism assets and activities through the presentation
of the experience of “The Legacy of al Andalus” foundation in creating and managing cultural
routes.236
In the case of the Abraham Path, training and capacity building were provided to the tourism
industry as well as local NGO partners with the support of funding from the World Bank.
Wilderness guides were provided training on trekking as well as the cultural and historical
significance of the path. NGOs received training on financial management and funding
strategies as well as management systems and procurement. 237
Sustainability
As mentioned in the previous chapter, MDTCs are perceived as a tool for sustainable tourism
in terms of ensuring the protection of both tangible and intangible heritage. The security and
preservation of the natural and cultural heritage assets of corridor countries is a crucial part of
the management of MDTCs. In the case of the Silk Road, UNWTO has led the efforts for
preservation and conservation of cultural heritage in Silk Road countries. In 1999, the Khiva
Declaration, on the occasion of the joint WTO/UNESCO Seminar on Tourism and Culture, called
upon the countries of Central Asia to preserve their cultural and natural heritage and to
promote sustainable tourism.238
In the case of the Holy Family, in Jordan, the five main sites are protected through heritage
legislation with a construction moratorium issued preventing any new constructions except
those exclusively dedicated to the protection of archaeological remains. Laws are in place to
protect the property from potential future threats, focusedmainly on development and tourism
projects that might jeopardize the nature and character of the site and its immediate
surroundings. 239 The examples from the Silk Road and the Holy Family TCs show that corridor
countries are aware of the importance of preservation of tourism assets along the corridor and
are actively working to preserve them.
Diversifying Funding
Funding is considered one of the major challenges for the development and promotion of
MDTCs. Funding for MDTCs, as shown in the following figure and as discussed in the previous
chapter, can be classified as either internal or external, with internal funding sources being
either public or private sources within the TC countries while external funding being from
entities not members of the corridor. A number of the OIC MDTCs have benefited from external
funding, whether from bilateral donors, regional or international organizations. The Silk Road
has received funding from several UN agencies, including UNESCO, UNWTO, UNDP, and
UNCTAD. 240 The Umayyad Route received funding from the European Commission. 241
236 Umayyad Route 8th Bulletin available from the Umayyad Route Website.
237 The World Bank. 2013. Project Information Document: Concept Stage.
238 Please refer to the Silk Road case study for further details.
239 Please refer to the Holy Family case study for further details.
240 UNWTO (2015), Affiliate Members Global Reports, Volume twelve – Cultural Routes and Itineraries, UNWTO, Madrid.
241 CulTech. 2015. Strategic Local Action Plan for Jordan UMAYYAD Project: A strategic ENPI-CBCMED Project.