Describe The development of sustainable tourism in Al Ula city (Saudi Arabia)
Introduction
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has focused on the tourism industry to develop and increase its economy. There no doubt tourism has many benefits for the country in general and the city in specific. The Saudi government carried out many projects in Alula to be a Tourism city after becoming a UNESCO world site. According to Bay. (2014)” this would have a substantial economic impact, stimulating growth in local areas and the county overall”. Alula city includes huge historical and heritage sites. There are many benefits and abilities to makes Alula a tourist destination and unique region in Saudi Arabia. Alula including two Landmarks, Culture Heritage Landmarks and Natural Heritage Landmarks. The city is located in northwest Saudi Arabia, which covers 2,391 Square Kilometers. The population of the Alual Approoxmating 65000. However, it still fragile and lacks in the sustainability of tourism.
Tourism puts enormous pressure on the city and creates economic, environmental,
social-culture and religious impacts. According to that, Alula is a small city, and it has the lowest population, putting the city at risk through over-tourism. The research will focus on Alula to improve sustainability and tourism. In addition, it will give awareness for sustainability and support the Royal Commission of Alula and the local community to protect mit.
Research questions
1- what is the impacts of sustainable tourism in Al Ula as a tourism and heritage site?
2-what are the pros and cons of sustainable tourism in Al Ula?
3-What is the role of the local community and the Royal Commission of Al Ula?
Literature review
According to Wan & Li (2013), Macao is one of China’s most popular tourist cities, and it is famous for the Casino industry. The research examined the economic, environmental, and msocial-culture impacts of tourism in Macao. Moreover, it evaluated the visitor’s satisfaction and level community from 2002 to 2009 via primary and secondary data.
The study finds that Macao should diversify rather than the Casion industry for the transition system’s grown -up and protect the environment. This research will support my research in how tourism impacts the economic, environmental, and social-culture impacts compared with tourism and Sustainability in Alula, although Macao is bigger than Alula.
Alrwajfah., Almeida., &Cortes(2019) showed that local residents have impacts of perception tourism, including economic, environmental, and Sociocultural impacts, and it evaluated the local’ satisfaction with local tourism management. The study found that two factors impact the perception of local people. The first one is Social demogrophics and community attachment. The second is the gender and distance from tourist sites.
The geography of Patre a similar to Alula, which will be more helpful to analyse and use the same methodology.
Alshuwaikhat & Mohammed. (2017) stated that sustainability was not seemed in the vision 2030 and NTP, so the study attempted to determine the role of sustainability and how it could be beneficial. Also, the study indicated the conception of sustainability that gives the reader an insight into the sustainability concept. Also, it will be an assistance to my dissertation to analyse sustainability in Saudi Arabia. However, the researcher does not mention particularly sustainable tourism in Alula. The research showed that KSA reliance on tourism to contribute Saudi economy.
In addition, the study including that the achievement of the strategic goals in
the environment, social, and economic goals. It might be appropriate to aspect the positiveand the negative impacts in Alula and how it can be sustainable in tourism of Alula.
Al-Tokhais & Thapa. (2020) indicated that the challenges of tourism in Saudi Arabia related to five UNESCO world heritage sites. In addition, it illustrates the weakness of management mand conservation by the Saudi government in tourism heritage. Moreover, the author showed that the survey results identified common challenges and concerns, including resource allocation, obstacles to implementation. The management plans, tourism and urban That is mean the country’s WHS development pressures, and related environmental impacts needs to be managed sustainability. Furthermore, the research is a benefit to analysis and get ideas or data about Alula, specifically in Al Hejr, for my studying.
Bay. (2014) showed that the significance of Alula as a historical place and tourism
destination. Also, the study focused on the heritage tourism plan, and the author mentioned some sections into the tourism plan in Alula, such as local community, government action, partnerships, collaboration, and economic aspects, which might be useful to describe their role to protect historical places in Alula. The study includes many case studies in Alula that lead to an inclusive understanding of Alula, particularly in history, to develop and sustainable m tourism in Alula. Thises contains many case studies, one of them is ( Heritage tourism in the old historical District of Alual.p85), which will support my dissertation to investigate the positives and negatives impacts of tourism in Alula.
According to Alzahrain. &Qasemah. (2008) how Alual is a valuable and vital city to Saudi
Government and showed that Alula has a vast and rich historical place and encourages people to invest Alula’s destination as a tourism city. In addition, research was proposed to promote and develop tourism in Alula. It appeared the economic, environmental, and social culturepositive impacts. The study analysed and investigated the case study of Alual into extended conception. The author focused on the case study of the advantages and disadvantages of tourism investment in Alula. The study consist of an excellent analysis of the impacts of
however the target of the research was to invest in tourism. In chapter 2, the tourism in Alula study mentions the impacts of tourism on the economic, environmental, and social culture that will assistant my study to improve and develop sustainability in Alula.
Conclusion:
There no doubt Alula will be a tourist destination that will be a threat via over tourism in the city. Saudi Arabia chose Alula as one of the central cities in the Kingdom to develop tourism and enhance Saudi’s economy rather than oil. The government of Saudia created many projects in Alual; however, there no clear strategies to sustain the tourism in Aula and protect it. The research will lead to examining the economy, social culture, environment, and religious impacts. It might show some sustainability strategies from the previous studies and examine the case study to enhance sustainable tourism. The research will support and sustainable tourism in Alula for the next generations and avoid the negative impacts of tourism.
References:
1-Alshuwaikhat, H. M., & Mohammed, I. (2017). Sustainability matters in national -1
development visions-evidence from saudi arabia’s vision for 2030. Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland), 9(3), 408. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9030408
2-Mohammad Abuhjeeleh, P. (2019). Rethinking tourism in saudi arabia: Royal vision 2030 perspective. African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, 8(5).
3–Foreman, C. (2018). Al-Ula tourism development planned The Al-Ula area to the north of Medina has a wide range of historical sites that date back thousands of years. MEED Business Review, 3(5), 63.
4- Alshammaa, H. A. (2019). Sustainable Tourism Heritage Village–Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia.
5- Bay, M. A. (2014). Adobe Fabric and the Future of Heritage Tourism: A Case Study Analysis of the old Historical City of Alula, Saudi Arabia. University of Colorado at Denver.
6- Al-Tokhais, A., & Thapa, B. (2020). Management issues and challenges of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 15(1), 103-110.
7- Alzahrani.,& Qasemah. (2008). “Tourism Investment In Al Ula.” Scientific Research,
Riyadh: MAS Tourism Information & Research Center.
8- Wan, Y. K. P., & Li, X. (2013). Sustainability of tourism development in macao, china: Sustainability of tourism development in macao. The International Journal of Tourism Research, 15(1), 52-65.
