Recent Issues

International Tourism in the OIC Member Countries: Empowering Smart and Sustainable Tourism for Development 2024 (31 May 2024) International Tourism in the OIC Countries 2022: Prospects and Challenges amid the COVID-19 Pandemic (27 June 2022) International Tourism in the OIC Countries: Prospects and Challenges 2020 (17 December 2020) International Tourism in the OIC Countries: Prospects and Challenges 2017 (12 February 2018) International Tourism in the OIC Countries: Prospects and Challenges 2015 (28 December 2015) International Tourism in the OIC Countries: Prospects and Challenges 2013 (12 December 2013) International Tourism in the OIC Countries: Prospects and Challenges 2010 (01 December 2010) International Tourism in the OIC Countries: Prospects and Challenges 2008 (05 June 2008)

Introduction

The substantial growth of international tourism activity is one of the most remarkable economic and social phenomena of the past century. The international tourism activity is characterised by a continuing geographical spread and diversification of tourist destinations. Although tourism activity is still concentrated in the developed regions of Europe and the Americas, substantial proliferation of new tourist-receiving markets is also observed in the developing regions. International tourism has become one of the main economic activities and an important source of foreign exchange earnings and employment in many OIC member countries. It has therefore been given much attention in the national development strategies and placed on the agenda of many intergovernmental gatherings. Since 2000, the OIC Ministers of Tourism met for 10 times to discuss the major issues and challenges facing the tourism sector in OIC countries and work out joint Islamic action for the development of a sustainable tourism sector. SESRIC has been regularly preparing the report ‘International Tourism in the OIC Countries: Prospects and Challenges’ to facilitate the discussion and debate during the Islamic Conference of Tourism Ministers (ICTM). The report attempts to assess the performance and economic role of the international tourism sector in OIC member countries. It analyses the traditionally used indicators like international tourist arrivals and international tourism receipts at both the individual country and the OIC regional levels to gauge the tourism sector performance of OIC member countries. The report also sheds light on some issues and challenges of tourism development and cooperation in the OIC countries and proposes a set of recommendations to serve as policy guidelines to which the attention of the member countries needs to be drawn.