Limnol. Rev. (2016) 16, 2: 105–112 DOI 10.1515/limre-2016-0011 Tourism development challenges on the Dead Sea shore Jan A. Wendt Institute of Geography, University of Gdańsk, Bażyńskiego 4, 80-309 Gdańsk, Poland, e-mail: [email protected] Abstract: The Dead Sea along with Jerusalem belongs to one of the most well-known spots visited by tourists in Israel. Because of many factors, such as the water level of the Dead Sea at a depth of 430 m b.s.l. (in 2015), average salinity of 26%, hot springs and many healing salts located there, it is a unique tourist attraction on a global level. Its attractiveness is heightened by its proximity to other sites of interest , such as the Jewish fortress at Masada, Jericho, Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, as well as Petra, Madaba and Al-Karak on the Jordanian side of the Dead Sea. High salinity and a microclimate create perfect conditions for the development of health resorts and medical tourism. Extracting healing salts from its waters for the needs of the chemical industry is important for both the economy and medical tourism. However, as a consequence of the agricultural and urban use of the waters of the River Jordan, which flows into the Dead Sea, a persistent decrease in the lake water level has been observed over the last century. This has created a number of economic and political issues. The problems which still have to be resolved are associated with the Red Sea-Dead Sea Conduit (Canal), the division of Jordan’s water resources, conservation of the unique reservoir of the Dead Sea and the threat of hindering the development of tourism within the region. The presentation of these issues is the main aim of this research paper. The study is based on the analysis of changes in tourism flows, results of research studies and the prognosis of changes in the water level of the Dead Sea. It presents an assessment of the effects of this phenomenon on the tourist economy. At the current level of tourism flows within the region, the tourist capacity of local beaches will be exceeded in areas where the most popular tourist resorts are located. Increased expenditure on development of tourism infrastructure in the coastal zone can also be observed. The predicted decreasing water level will result in further modifications and expansion of tourism infrastructure, decreased accessibility to the coastline for tourists, increased costs of visiting and may lead to an ecological disaster. Key words: Dead Sea, River Jordan, Israel, Jordan, tourism, medical tourism, accommodation, environmental issues Introduction currently at a greatly reduced rate, there has been a The Dead Sea is one of the most popular tourist constant decrease in the lake water level over the last destinations in Israel. Due to a number of factors, such 70 years. This decrease creates a number of economic as the water level at a depth of 430 m b.s.l. (in 2015) and political issues. The problems, which still have to average salinity of 26%, hot springs and many healing be resolved, are associated with the Red Sea–Dead Sea salts located there, it is a unique tourist destination. In Conduit, which is still in the first stage planning. This addition to these natural features, its attractiveness is creates conflicting demands; on the one hand of con- increased by its proximity to other sites of interest, such servation of the unique reservoir of the Dead Sea, and as the Jewish fortress at Masada, Jericho, the image of on the other, the development of tourism within the Qumran, the place where Dead Sea Scrolls were found, region. In the last 85 years the water level of the Dead as well as Petra, Madaba and Al-Karak which are on the Sea has fallen by 34 m to a depth of 430 m b.s.l. in 2015. Jordanian side of the Dead Sea (Wójtowicz and Wójto- In a significantly shorter period of time, from wicz 2015). Its high level of salinity and microclimate 1990 onward, rapid development of the tourist indus- provide excellent conditions for the development of try has taken place within the region. The Holy Land, recreational, specialist, medical and wellness tourism. which had earlier been visited mainly by pilgrims who Extracting healing salts from its waters for the needs rarely travelled outside Jerusalem and Galilee, has be- of chemical industry plays a crucial role in the econo- come a destination of hundreds of thousands of tour- my and medical tourism. However, as a consequence ists, and the Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport of the agricultural and urban use of the waters of the has become the largest and busiest airport in the region River Jordan, which flows into the Dead Sea, although (Wendt 2011). Following the end of the numerous con- 106 Jan A. Wendt flicts between Israel and its neighbours the Dead Sea assess and indicate the main physical geographical and region became the target of mass medical and wellness economic factors affecting changes in the water level, tourism, as well as leisure tourism, in both Jordanian reductive reasoning wasapplied. To determine the dif- and Israeli locations. Owing to the high concentration ficulties created by tourism flows on the Dead Sea shore of mineral salts and their unique chemical composi- simple statistical methods were used. In the summery, tion the extraction of magnesium and potassium has an analysis of the influence of changes in the Dead Sea been undertaken on an industrial scale. Natural salts water level on the development of the tourist economy extracted from the Dead Sea waters along with the lo- within the region are presented. cal microclimate characterized by high amounts of oxygen and low UVB exposure, create great conditions Study area for healing skin diseases (Abdel-Fattah and Pingitore 2009) and providing treatment related to balneotherapy The Dead Sea is located in a depression in the (Neumann et al. 2001; Ablin et al. 2013). central part of the Jordan Rift Valley, which reaches East In the period 1995–2015, tourism flows in Israel Africa in the south and Syria in the north. It adjoins the increased from 2.2 million to over 3.1 million and in Judean Mountains in the west and the Moab Plateau in Jordan from 1.1 million to 4.8 million. Charter flight the east. The lake is divided by the international bor- transportation to Tel Aviv airport grew by 71% between der between Israel and Jordan, but on the western shore 2010 and 2013 for tourists from Poland alone (Ilieş and there is a Palestinian territory administered by Israel Wendt 2015). Nearly half of the tourists and excursion- (Fig. 1). The Dead Sea is located at the lowest point on ists visiting Israel decide to stay by the Dead Sea, espe- Earth. It is a unique geographical, geological and bio- cially on its Israeli shore. A persistent decrease in the logical ecosystem. At the same time, it is a unique tour- lake water level over the last 83 years (to 2015), which ist attraction on a global scale with well-developed hotel was around 44 m, led to the formation of fluvial ter- and transport infrastructure sufficient for the needs of races, sinkholes, a decrease in the level of groundwater (Abu Ghazleh et al. 2011) and shrinkage of the shore- line, which is also gradually receding from the tourist infrastructure. At the same time, ecological degrada- tion of the reservoir is intensified and may be further worsened if a canal connecting the Dead Sea and the Red Sea is built. Research aim and methodology The aim of this study is to present the impor- tance of this lake in terms of tourism and economy, and additionally to indicate the issues resulting from the continuous process of water level decrease. In the years 1930–2010 the water level fell by 34 m, from 389 m b.s.l. in 1932 to 423 m b.s.l. in 2010 and to 430 m b.s.l. in 2015. Since 1932 the lake’s area has decreased by 46.1%, from 1082 to 583 km² in 2010 (Abu Ghazleh et al. 2011; IOLR 2016) Spatial reduction and shallow- ing of the reservoir have resulted in a number of issues associated with maintaining and developing tourism infrastructure. Classical research methods have been used in this research, as well as description and analysis of liter- ature. These include an analysis of the size and trends in the changes of tourism flows in the studied region based on the background data for Israel and Jordan. Histori- cal analysis and the widely used cartographic (compari- son of maps from different times) method were helpful in assessing the changes in the landscape which was Fig. 1. Dead Sea divided between Israel and Jordan created by the lowering water levels of the Dead Sea. To Source: Google maps (2016). Tourism development challenges on the Dead Sea shore 107 Table 1. Water input into the Dead Sea prior to and after fresh water Table 2. Water volume and surface area losses related to the lake resource development (WRD) level changes since 1932. For the period 2010–2020 the expected values are shown Fresh water Water input prior Water input after 3 –1 3 –1 resource WRD [km yr ] WRD [km yr ] Level change Water volume lost Surface area lost Period River Jordan 1.207 0.100 [m b.s.l.] [km3] [km3 yr–1] [km2] [km2 yr–1] Dead Sea tributaries 0.463 0.180 1932–1955 389–399 3.0 0.13 78.1 4.0 Groundwater 0.220 0.140 1955–1978 399–400 6.7 0.29 286.8 11.7 Total 1.890 0.420 1978–1995 400–409 6.0 0.36 56.3 3.3 Source: Modified after Salameh and El-Naser 2000; Abu Ghazleh et al.