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