The Sustainable Management of Cultural Heritage Sites: Tourism and the Politics of Archaeology at Petra (original) (raw)
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Asian Social Science, 2011
This paper aims at exploring the different impacts of tourism development on the site of Petra in Jordan, also the perceptions of local community in Petra regarding these impacts. Although of the economic benefits gained by tourism, deterioration has been witnessed in this ancient city since damage to features of the archaeological site as well as adapting negative values by the local community took place. This paper sheds the light on these impacts, and presents some suggested implications to achieve a more sustainable tourism development in the site.
Cultural heritage sites and historical centres are major tourism attractions. Urban and tourism development combined with poor tourism management can distort their authenticity, integrity and significance as well as contradict with the dimensions of sustainable tourism (archaeological, and environmental, economic and socio-cultural). Conflicts between sustainable tourism and urban development are becoming increasingly apparent in most of Jordan’s cultural heritage sites, especially those located in urban settings such as the Jerash Archaeological Site. The Jerash Archaeological Site is part of a “give and take” relationship with its local residents, small business owners, tourism entrepreneurs, governmental bodies and nongovernmental organizations; in other words, it has many stakeholders with various and often conflicting interests. In the context of tourism, it is very important to understand the needs, expectations, relationships, conflicts, commonalities and alliances articulated by the stakeholders and the experts in respect to conflict management. In particular, the main goals of this thesis are (1) to do a profound analysis of the conflicts between sustainable tourism and urban development and how to manage them and (2) to present the results to all the stakeholders to start a public discussion process that will contribute in solving the conflicts and ensure effective decision-making. The research methods included triangulation of both quantitative and qualitative methods, though the latter proved to be more useful. In order to explore the attitudes and perceptions of all the stakeholders, semi-structured interviews, group discussions and participant observations were conducted. Semi-structured interviews and group discussions were the most-used tools. 64 stakeholders were interviewed, and data and information were collected through two field trips to Jordan. Data collected from both qualitative and quantitative methods were analysed. Analysis comprised coding transcripts that were transcribed from tape recordings of interviews and group discussions with participants. Browsing, categorizing and coding of the transcripts were conducted using MAXQDA software. Based on its findings, this thesis argues that stakeholders’ attitudes are important in understanding the stakeholders’ satisfaction about tourism and the conflict between sustainable tourism and urban development in Jerash. The findings indicate that there are diverse economic aspects of conflict. The local residents, small business owners and tourism entrepreneurs are generally dissatisfied with the urban and tourism development projects which were conducted in Jerash since the implementation of these projects negatively influenced their life and businesses, causing large financial losses for them. In Jerash, the economic benefits from the tourism industry are not fairly distributed among tourism entrepreneurs, and this causes conflicts between them. Few tourist restaurants benefit financially from tourism since the owners of these restaurants arrange kickbacks to give tour operators and guides—tour guides receive money from restaurants owners and souvenirs shopkeepers if they bring busloads of tourists to their restaurants and shops. The archaeological and environmental aspects include conflicts between the protection of the cultural and natural heritage resources and the various impacts of urban development like the distortion of the integrity and authenticity of Jerash site. The pressure of the urban and tourism development projects around the Jerash Archaeological Site contradicts the protection principles of the World Heritage Convention. Such activities cause destruction of monuments and distortion to the visual appearance of the site. For these reasons, the site is not inscribed yet on the World Heritage List. Concerning the socio-cultural aspects, the analysis focused on how urban development has contributed to separating the local community from the tourists and the site. Urban development activities have divided the Ancient Roman City (within the boundaries of the ancient city wall) into two parts: the modern city of Jerash and the archaeological site. Therefore, the local residents who live in the modern city are somewhat remote from their guests and the site. To manage these conflict aspects effectively there is, therefore, a need to identify the root causes responsible for these conflicts. This thesis suggests that the main causes of conflict were the following: (1) the short tourists’ stay in Jerash, (2) the ineffectiveness of legislation for sustainable tourism management of cultural heritage, and (3) the lack of a comprehensive vision for urban and tourism development. Since there is no “silver bullet” solution to any conflict, there should be multiple procedures and techniques to manage conflicts that appear during the implementation of these projects. In order to prepare a comfortable atmosphere for the conflict management process, a sustainable urban tourism framework must be rapidly implemented that addresses the shortcomings of the urban and tourism development projects and identifies the boundaries of the archaeological site clearly. Other multidisciplinary techniques for conflict management are described. This includes fostering with full involvement and collaboration of all stakeholders at the planning and implementation stages of the urban and tourism development projects, fostering touristic and archaeological awareness among all the stakeholders, financing the expropriation of lands around the Jerash Archaeological Site and taking advantage of the points of agreement between the stakeholders. There was an overwhelming consensus among most of the interviewed experts that multi-stakeholder participation is an innovative technique for promoting and implementing sustainable urban and tourism development projects in Jerash.
Tourism Management Perspectives, 2020
The objective of this study is to examine the management strategies for archaeological heritage sites and to identify optimal managerial strategies for such sites. The study is primarily qualitative in nature and consists of two main stages: a) development of a conceptual framework based on measures for site evaluation; 2) application of the methodology to four case studies. The findings indicate that in addition to the realms of Environment and Economy, heritage sites have three other significant realms that are relevant to archaeological sites: Values and Culture, Organization and Legislation, and Society and Community. These three realms were found to hold significance for the long-term management of archaeological tourism, although they are currently underdeveloped in the four case studies investigated. The study also proposes a model called the Sustainability Index for Archaeological Sites (SIAS), which can serve as a basis for operative decisions in the management process. This literature review deals with the main concepts and issues related to this study: heritage tourism, the management of heritage sites,
Discovering Edom Polish archaeological activity in southern Jordan, 2019
Archeology can become an important factor in the develop- ment of tourism and improving the economic situation and standards of people living in southern Jordan. As a part of the HLC Project, ana- lyzes and surveys were made to answer the question of whether the local population treats the development of archaeological works as a threat or a positive chance. The goal of the project is not only to carry out research work but also to return the heritage of the inhabitants of the south of Jor- dan to their use and protect it in the optimal way.
Preservation vs. use: understanding tourism stakeholders’ value perceptions toward Petra Archaeological Park
Heritage sites are shared by several stakeholders with different values that leading multiple interpretations and uses. Tourism stakeholders play critical roles in developing and planning sustainable heritage tourism. However, little research has been conducted to investigate simultaneously their value perceptions toward heritage sites. Using Petra Archaeological Park as an example, this paper addresses the issue of the perception attached by tourism stakeholders towards archaeological park values. The results indicate that all stakeholders appreciate Petra to be preserved and kept for future generations. However, results show that residents and local business owners support the preservation of Petra not only for its heritage value but also for economic benefits, while tourists and government officials are more preservation oriented than use-oriented. This study generates useful and practical information for both heritage management professionals and academics on national and international level.
Listed as a World Heritage Site since 1985, the city of Petra is well regarded as the most important attraction in Jordan that is internationally recognized for its rare archaeological remains, monuments and façades that date back to Nabataean times. This paper presents an interdisciplinary approach, which is co-constructed by an academic archaeologist and a sustainable tourism researcher that considers the integration of three rare and significant Neolithic villages as a unique extension of the cultural and heritage tourism experience in Petra. The paper begins by deliberating the implications of World Heritage Status for iconic and flagship destinations such as Petra. From this, results of a review of secondary research and interviews with local tour operators are presented which explored the issues and challenges that may inhibit the inclusion of the Neolithic villages as part of the Petra attraction system. The authors propose that an attraction diversification strategy and a sustainable tourism-planning approach are necessary to sustain the destination's long-term future, conserve Petra's archaeological sites, ensure economic benefits and appropriate participation of local communities within the region, and to serve as a way to attract more appreciative visitor markets to the region.