Kemaliye Poised To Be An Example Of Sustainable Community Based Tourism By Its Destination Management Organisation

November 1, 2018

A two-day workshop was organised at Kemaliye Culture House with the participation of civil society organisations, local entrepreneurs, local government, academicians, students, UNDP representatives and experts under the “Capacity Building for Sustainable Community Based Tourism Project” jointly implemented by the T.R. Ministry of Culture and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Bringing together 43 participants, the workshop aimed to introduce the tools of the Destination Management Organisation (DMO) to the key stakeholders in the destination, equip the stakeholders with skills of applying DMO tools, and draw up a plan in cooperation with the stakeholders in the destination to execute DMO activities in the short-, medium- and long-term in line with the destination.

On the first day of the workshop, UNDP expert Ms. Julie Scott facilitated the work on Destination Baseline Analysis, Destination Management Organisation Structure and Destination Management Planning. On the second day, UNDP expert Ms. Joanna Marsh facilitated the discussions on the possible initial steps in marketing the destination as a tourism tool. Kemaliye’s existing web-based infrastructure was assessed, and easy steps for effective use of social media were identified. UNDP experts completed their work on the content of an interactive, rich-content and updateable Destination Portal specific to Kemaliye. It is planned to operationalise the said portal for Kemaliye next year.

As addressed in the Third Tourism Council in November 2017, it is important that Turkey execute the management and marketing of culture and tourism assets through a single authority, and include the public sector, private sector, universities and civil society organisations in the decision-making mechanisms through flexible management models. In this context, based on the need for a participative governance model to plan and manage tourism locally, implementing the Destination Management Organisation model in Kemaliye will set an example for other destinations.

The “Capacity Building for Sustainable Community Based Tourism Project” aims at developing national and local capacities for planning and implementation of sustainable community based tourism in Turkey. This initiative, which will be nationally implemented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will also provide inputs for the Tourism Strategy of Turkey-2023, with a focus on diverse tourism activities and emphasis on alternative tourism initiatives.