Objectives: This study examines the impact of evaluation criteria—relevance, coherence, and effectiveness—on the success of humanitarian projects in the Gaza Strip, with efficiency as a mediating factor. It aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how these criteria interact to enhance project outcomes in complex humanitarian settings. Methods/Analysis: The research employs Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to analyze data collected from 350 respondents involved in humanitarian projects. The analysis assesses the direct and mediated effects of relevance, coherence, and effectiveness on project success, offering empirical insights into the role of efficiency in optimizing resource utilization. Findings: The results indicate that relevance, coherence, and effectiveness significantly influence project success, while efficiency strengthens these relationships by ensuring better resource allocation and implementation. The study highlights the importance of community engagement, alignment with local needs, and cultural sensitivity in achieving sustainable project outcomes. Novelty/Improvement: This research presents an integrated evaluation framework that enhances understanding of the interplay between key project assessment criteria and efficiency in humanitarian work. The findings provide actionable insights for organizations operating in complex environments like Gaza, helping refine project planning and execution strategies to improve sustainability and impact.

Changes in tourists’ behavior in recent times have been considered a driving force for emphasizing the importance of unpopular tourism destinations as one of the key potentials in the tourism industry in any nation. On the road to reviving unpopular tourism destinations, this study aims to identify the potential tourism aspect and development of the Ngawen Temple in Indonesia. This research applies the placemaking approach as the main strategy for resurrecting Ngawen Temple. By using visitor surveys, visitor flows, and community surveys, this research obtains a clearer assessment for determining the planning development of Ngawen Temple. The research results revealed that unpopular destinations still have the potential to be developed and bring more benefits to the local economy by conducting a comprehensive placemaking approach. Accordingly, possible strategies based on various literature and field observations can provide clues to stakeholders on how to use their tourism assets to improve local communities’ economies. Some of the most frequently proposed strategies are the following: link the unpopular destination with other popular ones through structured tourism trips; design a “tourist trap,” which is a created place to hold tourists longer in a destination using new additional facilities; improve the infrastructure; and establish more creative tourism spaces, such as tourism centers.