The physical carrying capacity at the cultural heritage site of Petra
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Khalid Magablih [1] ; Abdullah al-Shorman [1]
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[1] Yarmouk University
Yarmouk University
Jordania
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- Localización: Tourism analysis, ISSN 1083-5423, Vol. 13, Nº. 5-6, 2008, págs. 511-515
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
This study aims at estimating the physical carrying capacity at Petra and offering alternatives to the current situation, which negatively affects the physical and ecological environments of the site. The study utilized data from the Ministry of Tourism, the Central Bank of Jordan, and Jordan Tourism Board for the years 1999 to 2005. The carrying capacity was estimated based on specific formulas after Boullon. The results show that the calculated carrying capacity (16,200 visitors per month) exceeds the acceptable limits except in January. It is also visible that the number of monthly visitors is about the calculated carrying capacity during the season of Arab tourism in Jordan, which is the largest market segment. The study recommends controlling the seasonality of tourism in Petra, using the Siq as an entry point with a single direction flow for tourists, and adopting a promotional policy that ensures the balanced distribution of tourists around the year.
