Ecotourism: A Sustainable Approach of Tourism in Jordan Item Type text; Electronic Thesis Authors Al-mughrabi, Abeer Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 09/10/2021 23:01:59 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/190379 Ecotourism: A Sustainable Approach of Tourism in Jordan Abeer Al-mughrabi Abeer Al-mughrabi Planning Degree Program University of Arizona Spring 2007 ECOTOURISM JORDAN 2007 ___________________________________________________ii ________________ Ecotourism: A Sustainable Approach of Tourism in Jordan Ecotourism Jordan Acknowledgments It was a long journey since the day I started to write this master’s report until I started to write my acknowledgments. This report was written with the support and encouragement of individuals who helped all along the way. I would not have finished my study without the support of my family; I would not have achieved my goal and finished my master’s report and master’s degree without the continuous encouragement, support, and assistance of my husband Zaid Al-bakhit. I appreciate all the help he provided me beginning with collecting the needed information in Jordan to printing out this report. I needed my children’s patience and encouragement. I would like to thank them, Fares and Jude, for all what they have done to help me. I need to tell them that I am sorry for not being able to spend more time with them and have a regular lifestyle but I also want them to know that was a far great deed they did for a decent reason. I would like to thank my parents, Omar Al-mughrabi and Asma Al-momani, for all their love and encouragement; I would not have done this without them. I would like to thank my mother for helping me in collecting the information and the documents in Jordan when she had to go everywhere with me and attend all my meetings. I also would like to thank her for her great help in doing the survey in Jordan. She did a lot of work! The reviews and editions of my master’s report committee upgraded the quality of my work and for that I am grateful. First, I would like to thank Dr. Becker for all the reading she had to do and for all the corrections and editing she did to my report. I also would like to thank Dr. Becker for her input to direct producing this report and, most of all, I would like to thank her for believing in me. Second, I would like to thank Ms. Ruopp for taking the time to edit my report and for her suggestions and recommendations. I also would like to thank her for the encouragement and guidance. Third, I would like to thank Dr. Bradley for his recommendations and suggestions; his lectures influenced my report writing. Finally, I would like to thank Kristy Schmidt for her help and advising and for everything she did for me. I would like to acknowledge all people who made this report possible by sharing their information and by providing me with documents: Hitesh Mehta, eco-architect and planner; Eng. Ammar Kammash, General Manager of Ammar Kammash Architects; Eng. Dia Al-madani, Commission Director of Baptism Site; Tamara Khalil, Communication manager of Movenpick Dead Sea Hotel; Ibrahim Abdallah, Director of Engineering of ___________________________________________________iii ________________ Ecotourism: A Sustainable Approach of Tourism in Jordan Ecotourism Jordan Movenpick Dead Sea Hotel; Chris Johnson, Director of Wild Jordan; and Simone Bennett, Ecotourism Australia representative for permission to use the online information and documents. I thank all the individuals who provided pictures for my report and all the individuals who helped me to create and develop this master’s report. ___________________________________________________iv ________________ Ecotourism: A Sustainable Approach of Tourism in Jordan Ecotourism Jordan Table of Content Chapter I: Introduction………………………………………………………………...1 The Definition of Ecotourism………………………………………………………….....1 Tourism vs. Ecotourism…………………………………..……………………………....3 Principle of Ecotourism…………………………………………………………………..4 Measurements……………………………………………………………………………10 Misuse of Ecotourism and Greenwashing …...……………………………...…………..11 Negative Impact of Ecotourism………………………………………………………….12 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….16 Chapter II: Methodology………………………………………………………………17 Report Structure………………………………………………………………………….17 Methods and Tools……………………………………………………………………….18 Case Study Selection……………………………………………………………………..18 Case Study Background………………………………………………………………….19 Study problem and Importance…………………………………………………………..20 Summary…………………………………………………………………………………21 Chapter III: Two Case Studies ……………………………………………………….23 Case Study one: Ecotourism Australia…………………………………………………..23 NEAP/ EcoCertification Program………………………………………………………..25 Ecoguide Australia Certification Program……………………………………………….31 Respecting Our Culture Program………………………………………………………...33 ATAA Endorsed Programs…………………………………………………………...….34 International Standards for Ecotourism……………………………………………….....35 Conferences………………………………………………………………………………35 Challenges………………………………………………………………………………..35 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….36 Case Study two: Ecotourism Bulgaria ……………………………………...………...…38 Introduction………………………………………………………………………….…...38 First National Ecotourism Conference, 2002……………………………………….……42 National Ecotourism Strategy and Action Plan ...………………………………….……43 ___________________________________________________v ________________ Ecotourism: A Sustainable Approach of Tourism in Jordan Ecotourism Jordan Tools and Instruments….………….……………………………………………………..49 The Government and the Regulations .…………….…………………………………….50 Challenges………………………………………………………………………………..51 Conclusion ..……………….…………………………………………………………….52 Chapter IV: Ecotourism Jordan…………………………………………………….....54 Achievements of Ecotourism Practices in Jordan…………………………………..........57 Ajloun Nature Reserve…………………………………………………………………...59 Azraq and Shaumari Reserves ...……………………………….………………………..62 Dana Nature Reserve ………………………………………...……………………….…62 Wadi- Feynan eco-lodge………………………………………………………………....63 Mujib Nature Reserve…………………………………………………………………....64 Bethany Beyond the Jordan………………………………………………………….......65 Dead Sea .....………...……………………………………………………………...…....67 A Private Sector Initiative/ Movenpick…………………………….…..……………......69 Wadi Rum Protected Area……………………………………………………………….71 The Gulf of Aqaba…………………………………………………………………….....74 Dibeen Reserve………………...………………………………………………………...74 Petra, the Red Rose City……………………………………………………………..…..76 National Tourism Strategy…………………………………………………………........79 Challenges…………………………………………………………………………….....80 Conclusion………………………………………………...……………………………..82 Chapter V: Comparison and Analysis …………………………………………..…....83 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………83 Comparison and Analysis……...………………………………………………….…......84 Survey Results…….…………………………………………………………………......91 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….99 Chapter VI: Policy Recommendations and Conclusion …………………………...100 Nature Tourism VS Ecotourism………………………………………………….….....100 Public Awareness and Marketing Ecotourism………………………………….…........101 Community Economic Development………………………………..…..……………..103 The Role of the Government…………………………………………………...…..…..105 A National Ecotourism Strategy and Action Plan………………………..…...………..107 ___________________________________________________vi ________________ Ecotourism: A Sustainable Approach of Tourism in Jordan Ecotourism Jordan Certification…………………………………………………………………...……..…107 Conferences…………………………………………………………………..….…..…108 Technology and Solar Power Use ………………………………………………..…...109 Monitoring……………………………………………………………………………..110 Ecotourism VS. Sustainable Tourism…………………………………………..…...…110 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………......…111 Appendices…………………………………………………………………………......112 References……………………………………………………………………………...117 ___________________________________________________vii ________________ Ecotourism: A Sustainable Approach of Tourism in Jordan Ecotourism Jordan List of Tables Table 3.1: Triple Bottom Line…………………………………………………..27 Table 3.2: NETSAP Themes and Actions………………………………………46 Table 5.1: Comparison between the Three Case Studies………….……..……..84 . ___________________________________________________viii ________________ Ecotourism: A Sustainable Approach of Tourism in Jordan Ecotourism Jordan List of Figures Figure 1.1: The Baptism Site, Jordan River, Israel…………………………………….….2 Figure 1.2: The Baptism Site, Jordan……………………………………………………..2 Figure 1.3: Ecotourism Principles………………………………………………………....5 Figure 1.4: Undisturbed Nature, Ajloun Reserve in Jordan ……………………………....6 Figure 1.5: Sabino Canyon Guided Educational Tour, Arizona………………………..…7 Figure 1.6: Local Employment in Petra, Jordan………………………………………..…8 Figure 1.7: Sensitive Environmental Nature, Arizona…………………………………...13 Figure 1.8: Large Number of Tourists………………………………………………..….13 Figure 2.1: Map of Jordan………………………………………………………………..19 Figure 2.2: AAG for Tourists Arrivals in the Middle East, 1995-2002…………….……21 Figure 3.1: Great Barrier Reef, Australia………………………………………………...24 Figure 3.2: ECO Certified Whalewatching Tours, Australia……………………………25 Figure 3.3: EcoCertification Fees………………………………………………………..30 Figure 3.4: Protected Area of Bulgaria…………………………………………………..38 Figure 3.5: Protected Lakes, Bulgaria…………….………...……………………………38