tourism geography of the middle east
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famous attractions of the middle eastTRANSCRIPT
THE TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF THE MIDDLE EAST
Countries of the Middle East Bahrain Cyprus Egypt Iran Iraq Iraqi
Kurdistan (autonomy
within Iraq) Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman State of
Palestine
Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria Turkey United Arab
Emirates Yemen
The Middle East-Cultural Features Vast petroleum resources All but two (Israel and Iran) of the
countries in the region are Arabic-Speaking
Predominantly Muslim in Religion, except for Israel and Lebanon
There are substantial ethnic and religious minorities
Cultural FeaturesAspects of Islam that influence tourist
experience: The obligation of Muslims to pray five
times a day with special emphasis on Friday
The requirement to fast between sunrise and sunset during the month of Ramadan
At least once in a lifetime, Muslims should make the pilgrimage or haj to the holy city of Mecca
Tourism Demand and Supply
The region accounts for a relatively small share of the world tourism – almost 3% of arrivals
Dubai invests heavily in tourism Oil-based prosperity of Saudi Arabia and the
Gulf states attract a large business travel market
There is considerable volume of travel involving business tourism, returning migrant workers, visiting friends and relatives, pilgrimages and health tourism
Tourism Demand and Supply With only modest progress in education,
most countries in the region are ill-equipped to meet the challenges of globalization
Foreign investors and national governments have provided much of the infrastructure needed for international tourism
Cheap oil: more vehicles
Tourism Resources A wealth of cultural attractions: the
region gave rise to the world’s earliest civilizations and 3 major religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
A generally favourable climate for beach tourism, although in some countries this is restricted by cultural and religious attitudes (except Israel and Dubai)
The mountains in the north of the region provide opportunities for winter sports
Tourism Resources There is also a scope for adventure
holidays in the more accessible mountain and desert areas
Ecotourism in practice has made little progress
Main Threats to Tourism The political situation has been a major
factor in preventing the region realising its tourism potential. Terrorism resulted in much negative publicity
The unique appeal of the region lies in its antiquities and cultural sites. These need careful management and have a limited capacity to receive visitors.
Tourism Geography of Egypt It is a meeting place of East and West:
mysterious yet highly accessible The most populous of the Arab countries
and the cultural center for the Arabic-speaking world
Its people is the inheritors of an ancient civilization that flourished many centuries before the rise of Islam
The bulk of Egypt’s territory is desert The ‘Gift of the Nile’
Egypt Egypt is the dominant destination of
international tourists in the Middle East Egypt is attempting to widen its resource
base by encouraging conferences and special interest tourism
Nile River
Tourism Resources of Egypt The Pyramids of Giza – the only survivors
of the ‘seven wonders of the ancient world’
The temples and other antiquities near Luxor, including the world famous Valley of the Kings
The temple at Abu Simbel near Aswan, which UNESCO campaigns saved from inundation by the Aswan High Dam Project
Pyramids of Giza
LUXOR TEMPLES
ABU SIMBEL TEMPLES
Other Tourist Resources Fayyum (Fayoum) Oasis Sailing in traditional felucca on the Nile Trekking in the Sinai Dessert Great potential: The Mediterranean
Coast and the Red Sea coast (Red Sea Riviera)
FAYYUM OASIS
FELUCCA ON THE NILE
SINAI DESERT
Red Sea Riviera
TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF ISRAEL
ISRAEL The country is poor in natural resources, but
has a workforce that is enterprising and highly skilled in the latest technology
Offer a variety of scenery and climate, including the snows of Mount Hermon, the sub-tropical Galilee, and the heat and aridity of the Dead Sea
Security is a major consideration for travel in Israel itself, and El Al, the national carrier, routinely carried armed air marshals on its flights long before 9/11 made it a global issue
Mount Hermon
Sea of Galilee
Dead Sea
The Demand for TourismIsrael can offer a great variety of tourist
products including: Summer holiday resorts along the
Mediterranean coast at Herzliya and Netanya, and Ashkelon to the south
Eilat, Israel’s outlet to the Red Sea, has become a popular winter sun destination, with facilities for underwater photography, diving and water skiing
Herzliya
Eilat
The Demand for Tourism Spa Tourism has been developed around
picturesque Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and the Dead Sea
Working holidays on kibbutz, the uniquely Israeli experiment in communal living
Spa on the Dead Sea
Mud Hut - Kibbutz
Trekking in the Negev Desert
Cultural TourismArchaeological sites many of which are mentioned in the bible
Herod the Great’s Hilltop Fortress
Historic port of Acre (Akko)
Christian Pilgrimages
Major Cities Tel Aviv is the Financial Center of the
country Haifa is Israel’s largest port Jerusalem-the capital of ancient Judea
TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF JORDAN
Jordan is a small, relatively poor Arab country Tourism plays and important role in the economy Major attractions now include:
Petra, the ancient city of the Nabatean civilisation The desert scenery of Wadi Rum Eastern shores of the Dead Sea The Crusader Castle at Kerak Roman City of Jerash Pilgrim sites on the east bank of the river Jordan Beaches and watersports of Aqaba on the Red Seas
coast
Ancient city of Petra
Wadi Rum
Eastern shores of the Dead Sea
Crusader Castle at Kerak
Jerash
River Jordan
TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF SYRIA Roughly the size of England and Wales,
Syria comprises a large section of the Fertile Crescent
Poor infrastructure is a major constraint on tourism development
Syria’s cultural heritage are represented by: The capital Damascus, the world’s oldest
city Ruins of the ancient trading city of Palmyra The Krak des Chevaliers-castles built by the
crusaders
Damascus
Ommayad Mosque
Palmyra
Krak des Chevaliers
TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF LEBANON
Lebanon is a classic example of a multi-cultural society peopled toa large extent by successive waves of refugees from other parts of the Middle East
Beirut – not only the financial capital but also its main entertainment center
The country’s tourist attraction include: Mount Lebanon – a number of ski centers
have been developed Bekaa Valley, includes the ancient temples
of Baalbek
Mount Lebanon
Bekaa Valley/temples of Baalbek
TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
A major player in international tourism Dubai has done most to attract Western tour
operators, and is an example of economic diversification A cruise terminal World-class golf courses Yacht marinas Ultra-modern shopping malls and traditional
markets Sport tourism, including the Dubai World Cup
Dubai
Abu Dhabi is aiming to a centre of cultural excellence
TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF QATAR The Qatar Tourism Authority has used its
wealth, based on vast reserves of natural gas, to become a ‘sustainable niche market destination.
Doha’s international airport is designed specifically to handle the new generation of Airbus ‘superjumbos’
Has hosted a number of sports events, including the 2006 Asian Games
Doha, Qatar
2006 Asian Games - Doha
Doha Landmarks – Doha Pearl
Doha Landmarks – Spiral Mosque
The spiral mosque of the Kassem Darwish Fakhroo Islamic Centre is a recent construction - It has become in a few years one of Doha's most famous landmarks. This is not a traditional Qatari mosque but a replica of the Great Mosque of Al-Mutawwakil in Samarra in Iraq.
TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF OMAN In contrast to Dubai, Oman can offer the
tourist a more genuine experience of traditional Arab culture.
The country has a long history of seafaring traders from the port of Muscat venture widely across the Indian Ocean.
Batinah Coast- being developed as a winter sun destination for Europeans.
Dhofar region-appeals to Arabian families
Muscat, Oman
TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia has the largest GDP in the Middle East – it has the quarter of the world’s oil reserves
Primary destination for business travellers, focusing on Riyadh and Jeddah
Visiting religious reasons to perform the haj/umrah to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina
Mecca
Medina
Jeddah and Riyadh
Jeddah Airport
TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF YEMEN Yemen is much poorer than other
countries of the Arabian Peninsula, and tribal traditions persist to a much greater extent
This mysterious country has much to offer the more adventurous tourist, namely: Archictectural heritage of mud-brick tower
houses and palaces in Old Sana’a, Zabid and Shibam
The remains of the ancient Sabean civilisation, probably the biblical Sheba
Old Sana’a
Mud-brick houses in Sana’a
TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF IRAQ The major part of Iraq is made up of the
fertile plains of the Tigris and Euphrates, historically known as Mesopotamia
Archeological sites: Ninevah, Babylon Baghdad is a modern capital, and little
remains of the city of the Abbsahid Caliphs
TOURISM GEOGRAPHY OF IRAN Known as Persia until 1935 Different in laguage, ethnicity and culture
from its Arab neighbors Iran’s Tourism resources include:
Isfahan ‘the city of mosques’ Persepolis – remains of the Pre-Islamic Persian
civilisations Ski centers of Alborz mountains Summer resorts along the Caspian Sea The island Kish in the Gulf – upmarket winter
destination
Isfahan – The City of Mosques
Alborz Mountains
Kish Island