Economic Development Studies » Tourism

It is widely recognized that international tourism plays a significant role in accelerating economic growth and promoting regional integration. International tourism is also an important indicator of economic, social and cultural development. Over the past few decades, international tourism activity has globally shown substantial and sustained growth in terms of both the number of tourists and tourism receipts. Many OIC member countries witnessed a remarkable growth in their tourism sector thanks to improved connectivity, reduced transportation costs, increased per capita income, wide-use of technology and positive trend seen in Muslim-friendly tourism activities.

The Centre conducts research on the performance and economic role of international tourism sector in OIC member countries, which also involves the review of the developments in some niche markets of the tourism sector such as eco-tourism, health tourism, and Islamic tourism. In particular, Islamic tourism sector has a great potential for sustainable growth and significant contribution to the development of the overall tourism sector in OIC member countries. In this context, the research studies under this thematic area elaborate on the potential role of the tourism sector to promote regional integration and deepen cooperation among the member countries. It accordingly aims to identify key challenges ahead of the tourism industry within the OIC area and proposes some policy implications to serve as broad policy guidelines to address these challenges.