Searching for an Oriental Paradise? Imaginaries, Tourist Experiences and Socio-Cultural Impacts of Mega-Cruise Tourism in the Sultanate of Oman”
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“Searching for an Oriental Paradise? Imaginaries, Tourist Experiences and Socio-Cultural Impacts of Mega-Cruise Tourism in the Sultanate of Oman” Von der Fakultät für Georessourcen und Materialtechnik der Rheinisch-Westfälischen Technischen Hochschule Aachen zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades eines Doktors der Naturwissenschaften genehmigten Dissertation vorgelegt von Dipl.-Wirtschaftsarabistin (FH) Manuela Gutberlet aus Berlin Berichter: Univ.-Prof. Dr. phil. Carmella Pfaffenbach Dr. Dieter Müller Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 09. Oktober 2017 Diese Dissertation ist auf den Internetseiten der Hochschulbibliothek online verfügbar. Publications Gutberlet, M. (2016a). Socio-cultural impacts of large-scale cruise tourism in Souq Mutrah, Sultanate of Oman. Fennia 1(194), 46-63. DOI: 10.11143/46532 Gutberlet, M. (2016b). Cruise tourist dress behavior and host - guest reactions in a Muslim country. Tourism Culture Communication 16, 15-32. Cognizant, LLC. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3727/109830416X14655571061674 Gutberlet, M. (2016c). Tourist Photography in a Bazaar – Souq Mutrah / Sultanate of Oman. Proceedings of the VII International Tourism Congress, The Image and Sustainability of Tourist Destinations, 2-4 December 2014. Muscat: Sultan Qaboos University, 114-120. Gutberlet, M. (2017/2018). Staging the Oriental Other: Imaginaries and Performances of German- speaking Cruise Tourists. Tourist Studies (forthcoming). TABLE OF CONTENTS List of tables IV List of figures V Acknowledgements VII 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Purpose and outline of the thesis 1 1.2 The story of Western tourism 2 1.3 The study of tourism 4 2 The Research Setting - Contextualising Oman’s Tourism 6 2.1 Historical trading routes & lifestyles 6 2.2 The rise of tourism: tourism development in Oman 7 2.3 The policy framework 8 2.4 Tourism indicators 10 2.5 Cruise tourism 15 2.6 The Mina Sultan Qaboos Waterfront project 17 3 Conceptual Framework 20 3.1 Cruise tourism, space and society 20 3.1.1 Cruise tourism and globalization 20 3.1.2 The tourist bubble 21 3.1.3 Socio-cultural impacts: “A nice place to live is a nice place to visit” 22 3.2 Imaginaries and space 24 3.2.1 Imaginaries and the social construction of space 24 3.2.2 Oriental imaginaries 25 3.2.3 Authenticity 25 3.3 Ethics, cultures and challenges for local societies 26 3.3.1 The ethics of tourism 26 3.3.2 Intercultural behavior and adaptation 27 3.3.3 Tourism in a Muslim country 29 3.3.4 Community empowerment 30 4 Research Methodology 32 4.1 Approach and research questions 32 4.2 Case study research 33 4.2.1 Souq Muttrah 34 4.2.2 An oasis and the Sharquiyah Sands desert 44 4.2.3 Transcription and data analysis 50 4.3 Power relations and gender issues 51 II 5 Research Papers 53 5.1 Socio-Cultural Impacts of Large-Scale Cruise Tourism in Souq Muttrah, Sultanate of Oman 56 5.1.1 Introduction 56 5.1.2 Tourism development in Oman 59 5.1.3 Research setting – the history of Muttrah 61 5.1.4 Research methods 61 5.1.5 Results 62 5.1.6 Conclusions 72 5.2 Staging the Oriental Other: Imaginaries and Performances of German-speaking Cruise Tourists 75 5.2.1 Introduction 75 5.2.2 Cruise tourism in Oman 77 5.2.3 Theoretical background 78 5.2.4 Research methods 82 5.2.5 Research results 85 5.2.6 Conclusion 93 5.3 Tourist Photography in a Bazaar - Souq Muttrah / Sultanate of Oman 96 5.3.1 Introduction 96 5.3.2 Theoretical background 96 5.3.3 Research methods 98 5.3.4 Research results 99 5.3.5 Conclusions 103 5.4 Cruise Tourist Dress Behaviors and Local-Guest Reactions in a Muslim Country 104 5.4.1 Introduction 104 5.4.2 Methods 107 5.4.3 Results 109 5.4.4 Conclusion 119 6 Conclusions & Recommendations 121 6.1 Conclusions: Mega-cruise tourism and the commodification of imaginaries, space and society 121 6.2 Recommendations: A community-based sustainability 124 6.3 Moving forward: Small and slow is beautiful 126 6.4 Final thoughts 127 References 129 Appendix 146 Zusammenfassung/Summary 147 III List of tables Table 1. Inbound tourists in Oman (2005-2015) ............................................................................ 10 Table 2. German-speaking tourists (Germans, Austrians, Swiss) arriving in Oman ....................... 11 Table 3. Countries of origin of German-speaking tourists in Oman ............................................... 12 Table 4. Number of nights spent in Oman (in million) ................................................................... 12 Table 5. Number of hotels in Oman ............................................................................................... 13 Table 6. Number of hotel rooms in Oman ...................................................................................... 14 Table 7. Number of hotels per governorate .................................................................................. 14 Table 8. Number of cruise liner arrivals in Oman ........................................................................... 15 Table 9. Number of cruise tourists in Oman (2009-2015) .............................................................. 16 Table 10. Contribution of qualitative and quantitative methods to the research ........................... 32 Table 11. The questionnaire construction and measurement ......................................................... 37 Table 12. Type and number of tourists interviewed in Souq Muttrah, February - May 2012 ......... 41 Table 13. Specification of the variables and questionnaire construction ........................................ 47 Table 14. The number of tourists and locals entering and leaving Souq Muttrah during a time- span of 15 minutes per each hour, main entrance, harbor street, 26 February 2012 ..... 64 Table 15. Attitudes of German-speaking cruise tourists (N=721) for a statement, Muscat, 2012 . 66 Table 16. Spending behavior of German-speaking cruise tourists (N=760) ..................................... 68 Table 17. Interviewees and the number of interviews conducted .................................................. 84 Table 18. The shopkeepers' views about the tourists' dress (N=40) in Souq Muttrah .................. 114 IV List of figures Figure 1. Souq Muttrah, opposite to the port ................................................................................. 34 Figure 2. The Corniche road in Muttrah, 2016 ................................................................................ 34 Figure 3. Mixed methods applied in the case study ........................................................................ 34 Figure 4. The Sharquiyah Sands desert and an oasis in the desert ................................................. 45 Figure 5. The old city wall in Al Muthairib, February 2014 .............................................................. 46 Figure 6. Dune driving in Sharquiyah Sands desert, March 2013 .................................................... 46 Figure 7. Mixed methods applied in the case study ........................................................................ 50 Figure 8. Map of the district of Muttrah, including Souq Muttrah and Port Sultan Qaboos .......... 60 Figure 9. Map of Souq Muttrah, including the residential area ...................................................... 63 Figure 10. The main street in Souq Muttrah, around noon, 26 February 2012 ................................ 65 Figure 11. Imported souvenirs, displayed outside a shop at the main entrance to Souq Muttrah .. 69 Figure 12. An expatriate vendor approaches a female tourist with a scarf, 2014………………… ……….70 Figure 13. Shop for the local community at the tourist entrance to the Souq, 2013………………………70 Figure 14. The same local shop was converted into a tourist shop one year later ........................... 70 Figure 15. An additional white wall (center) was set up in front of the residential district, the Corniche road, 2013 ................................................................................................... 72 Figure 16. Symbols of Omani heritage in the domes of the ceiling ................................................... 76 Figure 17. Tourists descending the ramp and being photographed, 2012 ....................................... 88 Figure 18. Tourists and guide ‘staging’ at the frankincense shop, 2012 ........................................... 90 Figure 19. Staging the "Oriental Other", 2012 ................................................................................... 93 Figure 20. The main street in the souq ............................................................................................ 100 Figure 21. Main entrance to the souq ............................................................................................. 100 Figure 22. An Omani vendor in front of his "Ali Baba Shop" ........................................................... 100 Figure 23. Entrance to a souvenir shop on the main street ............................................................ 101 Figure 24. The Ali Baba Shop – jewellery handicraft, coins and antiquities .................................... 101 Figure 25. An Omani walking along the main street of the souq .................................................... 102 Figure 26. Gold jewellery on display in the souq, small side street ................................................ 102 Figure 27. Packages of frankincense and frankincense burners on display ................................... 102 Figure 28. Henna design .................................................................................................................. 102 Figure