Cultural and Heritage Tourism in the Middle East and North Africa by Seyfi, Siamak; Hall, C. Michael;

Short description:

This is the first book to provide a comprehensive account of cultural and heritage tourism in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the many complexities that heritage sites and tourist attractions face.

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Long description:

This is the first book to provide a comprehensive account of cultural and heritage tourism in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and the many complexities that heritage sites and tourist attractions face.

The MENA region has long been regarded as the cradle of Western and Arab civilisation and is the home of many of the world’s major religions. Because of this, the region is rich in heritage sites that serve as major tourist attractions and as icons of national, cultural and religious identity. However, as this book examines, heritage in the region is simultaneously highly contested and has even become a target for terrorism creating a situation that brought major challenges for heritage management and sustainable tourism development. Many of the region’s innumerable cultural sites are threatened, in some cases by overuse, in others by neglect and, in many, simply by the pressures of economic development.

This book is therefore of interest not only to heritage managers and policy makers but those academics who seek to address the delicate balance between tourism development, communities and the tourists who visit such sites in a turbulent but highly significant region of the world.

 'Cultural and Heritage Tourism in the Middle East and North Africa is a timely contribution that provides a detailed picture of political, cultural and economic dimensions of tourism development in the region. This edited book addresses an important gap in the literature, with a multiscalar narrative from a wide range of heritage and cultural sites. The result is a cohesive collection of relevant insights on practices and issues with cultural and heritage tourism and globalization in these turbulent times.'

Alberto Amore, Solent Univeristy, UK

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Table of Contents:

1.  Cultural heritage tourism in the MENA: introduction and background.  2. Tourism and the multi-faith Heritage of the Middle East and North Africa: A Resource Perspective.  3. Contesting religious heritage in the Middle East.  4. Making a sense of place for Safranbolu World Heritage Site: An analysis of Safranbolu: Reflections of Time.  5. Cultural heritage and tourism in Tunisia: evolution, challenges and perspectives.  6. Touring ‘our’ past: World Heritage tourism and post-colonialism in Morocco.  7. National Park or Urban Green Space: The Case of [Tel] Ashkelon.  8. Cultural Heritage in Palestine: Challenges and Opportunities.  9. Visitors’ expectation and experience in a World Heritage site: Evidence from ancient Gobekli Tepe, Sanliurfa, Turkey.  10. Themepark Arabism: Disneyfying the UAE’s Heritage for Western Tourist Consumption.  11. Integrated Cultural Heritage Planning in Egypt: A catalyst for tourism after the Arab Spring?  12. UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites: The interplay between international and local branding for the Gonbad-e Qābus Brick Tower, Iran.  13. Factors influencing residents’ perceptions toward heritage tourism: A gender perspective.  14. Climate Change Threats to Cultural and Heritage Tourism in Iran.  15. Conclusion: The futures of cultural heritage tourism in the MENA countries

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