COMCEC Tourism Outlook 2017
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customer service training programs and utilizing social media for promotion and
marketing.
Similarly, the policy recommendations of the 8th Meeting of the Tourism Working Group on
“Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT): Developing and Marketing MFT Products and Services in the
OIC Countries” was submitted to the 32nd Session of the COMCEC held on 21-24 November 2016
in İstanbul. Following policy recommendations were suggested as the out outcome of the
meetings, discussions as well as the analytical studies:
 Developing a national Muslim Friendly Tourism strategy that links to the country’s
overall tourism goals through focusing on building stakeholder awareness, establishing
a dedicated MFT body/committee and developing a national MFT products/services
and marketing development strategy.
 Conducting government-led MFT-focused destinationmarketing through developing an
MFT branding and positioning for the benefit of local service providers and measuring
the potential of a destination for MFT by funding/organizing short-term campaigns.
 Supporting SMEs through developing training and mentorship programs.
 Developing bilateral tourism cooperation within the OIC through technical knowledge
exchange and joint promotion efforts for MFT destinations.
The 9th Meeting of the COMCEC Tourism Working Group was held on February 16th, 2017 in
Ankara, Turkey with the theme of “Muslim Friendly Tourism (MFT): Regulating
Accommodation Establishments in the OIC Member Countries.” The Representatives of the
Member States have shared their experiences, achievements and challenges on regulating
accommodation establishments in their respective countries. The Meeting has considered the
Studies “MuslimFriendly Tourism(MFT): Regulating Accommodation Establishments in the OIC
Member Countries” commissioned by the COMCEC Coordination Office and the “COMCEC
Tourism Outlook 2016” prepared by the COMCEC Coordination Office. In line with the
recommendations of the analytical study as well as the responses of the Member Countries to
the policy questions, which were circulated before the Meeting, the Working Group has come up
with COMCEC MFT Guideline for Regulating Accommodation Establishments. The COMCEC MFT
Guideline available on the COMCEC website .
Another instrument envisaged by the COMCEC Strategy that will strengthen tourism
cooperation among member states is the COMCEC Project Funding. The Strategy has a viable
funding mechanism through which member countries registered to the TourismWorking Group
submit projects to be financed through grants by the COMCEC Coordination Office. The first
project call was made in September 2013. Within the framework of the 1st project call under the
COMCEC Project Funding, 2 projects in tourism sector were successfully implemented in 2014.
One of them was “Cities of Common Cultural Heritage” project implemented by Azerbaijan
Ministry of Culture and Tourism. There were 3 partner countries namely; Turkey, Uzbekistan
and Kazakhstan in this project. The project aimed at creating a joint cultural tourism product
and at the end of the project with the help of the analytical study prepared as an outcome of the
project, cultural heritage routes were created. The other project was “Improving Statistical
Capacities of Tourism Sector in COMCEC Mediterranean and Gulf Region” proposed by SESRIC.
The project covered 6 member countries namely; United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Tunisia,