Assessing the impact of sustainable tourism practices on Petra and Wadi Rum

Abstract

The focus of this study is on sustainable tourism and its impact on country's major historical sites, namely Petra and Wadi Rum. Taking a quantitative research paradigm, it assesses the impact of the sociocultural, economic, and environmental sustainability activities on the attitude and perception of internal stakeholders towards tourism. The study was performed on 214 participants by means of pre-designed questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and the review of other documents. The data obtained suggests that the impact of sustainability practices on the environmental outcomes and perceived effects is significant. On the contrary, the impact on economic growth and the protection of cultural heritage is negligible. The outcome underscores the advantages and disadvantages associated with the present sustainability strategies.  Systems of sustainability that are effective for economic empowerment, cultural responsiveness, inclusiveness, and diversity are essential.  To promote more sustainable and equitable tourism development within Jordan, developed strategies emphasize the need to enhance the growth of community-based tourism, improvement of cross-sector cooperation, and effective implementation of policies as advocacy goals and objectives.