COMCEC Tourism Outlook-2016
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6 Importance of Tourism Cooperation in the Member Countries
6.1 Tourism Potentials & Obstacles Faced in the Tourism Development and
Cooperation in the Member Countries
OIC Member Countries have potential for the development of a sustainable international
tourism sector with rich and diverse natural, geographical, historical and cultural heritage
assets. OIC Member Countries’ performances in tourism sector indicate that the share of the
Member Countries in the global tourism sector is behind their potential and there is still a great
deal of scope for realizing their potential.
It is known that both established and new destinations need to shape the adequate conditions
and policies with regard to:
• Business environment
• Infrastructure
• Travel Facilitation
 Marketing
• Human resources
So theMember Countries can increase the social and economic benefits and minimizing negative
impacts via utilizing the tourism potential.
Figure 6.1 Tourism Opportunities in the Member Countries
Tourism is a dynamic sector that is subject to political, social, environmental and technological
trends, shaping tourist preferences, skill requirements of tourism related-jobs and structure of
the tourism market. It is crucial for the Member Countries to better engage in the long-term
global tourism market trends and to build sound tourism policies in order to improve
competitiveness of the sector.
There are many challenges faced by the Member Countries for developing their tourism sector
and making it internationally competitive. Challenges faced in the tourism development are
diverse as each country has its own tourism features, level of development and national
development priorities and policies. The challenges affecting tourism performance in the
Member Countries ranges from, among others, insufficient tourism-related infrastructure and
Natural Resources
Cultural Resources
Human Resources
Authenticity and newness
Price competitiveness
Dynamism