Saudi Cultural Missions Theses & Dissertations

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Understanding Visitor Experience at Hegra: A Study on Motivations, Communication Strategies, and Satisfaction in Heritage Tourism
(Oxford Brookes University, 2025-01) Alshowaikan, Sarah; Clark, Jackie
This research serves to find out what factors affect the overall experience of visitors in Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. The present study, on the basis of a mixed-method methodology, identifies those emotion-evoking, motivating, and effectively communicating factors to visitors for overall satisfaction by using quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews. The results show that the primary motives for visiting Hegra were historical and cultural interests. At the same time, the interactive forms of communication, like storytelling and guided tours, substantially raised the level of engagement. The site's atmosphere and contact with the local community at Hegra promoted positive emotional reactions that were assumed to affect overall satisfaction and intentions to return. This paper also compares with Petra site the state-of-the-art technologies taken up by Hegra in balancing sustainable tourism and heritage preservation. Recommendations are provided to improve the visitor experience and long-term sustainability of Hegra as a leading heritage tourism destination.
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