The Role of Culture in The Development of Tourism in the Middle East"

Abstract

Summary of Research Proposal The research discusses the role of culture in developing tourism in the Middle East. Nowadays, tourism is a flourishing industry that helps countries boost their economies. In the last few years, this industry has seen a setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now things are getting better, and this industry has started to grow again. Overall, the world travels for various reasons, among which one is due to culture, and it plays a significant role in the development of tourism all over the globe (Fang, 2020). The Middle East is a region which has an abundance of cultural heritage, and the region is attracting tourists. The tourism industry is growing at a rapid rate in the Middle East, which is helping the region in its economic development (Abulibdeh and Zaidan, 2017), and cultural tourism is the one that is playing a significant part. Recognizing the economic advantages that cultural tourism can have, most of the region's countries have started to invest in cultural tourism infrastructure to attract tourists to their countries. Therefore, the study focuses on cultural tourism's role in the Middle East. The literature review has highlighted that cultural tourism can positively and negatively impact the culture and economy. It can bring positive impacts by generating revenue and job opportunities, enhancing cultural understanding, preserving cultural practices (Evans, 2020) and promoting cultural pride (Gertner, 2019). On the other hand, it can also bring negative impacts like commodification of culture and harm to the authenticity of culture (Postma and Schmuecker, 2017). Further, the region faces challenges and opportunities in developing cultural tourism. The dissertation will study how culture can impact tourism in the Middle East. Due to the complexity of the contextual factors, the study will explore the relationship between culture and tourism development, the influence of cultural factors, the socio-economic impacts of tourism development and the challenges and opportunities present in the region. The aim and objectives of the dissertations are outlined below: 1 Aim The aim of this study is to explore the multifaceted role of culture in the development of tourism in the Middle East. Objectives • To outline the relationship between culture and tourism development in the Middle East. • To examine the influence of cultural factors on attracting tourists to the Middle East. • To analyze the socio-economic impacts of cultural tourism in the Middle East. • To identify challenges and opportunities in developing cultural tourism in the Middle East. • To conceptualize the multifarious role of culture in tourism development in the Middle East.