The document provides an overview of tourism in the Middle East and North Africa region. It discusses the region's population patterns, religious influences, cultural diversity, geopolitical issues, economic development, and environmental concerns. Tourism is an important part of the economy for some countries. Religious and historic sites attract many visitors to countries like Egypt, Jordan, Israel, and Turkey. However, political instability and violence have negatively impacted tourism in places like Syria. The document examines tourism trends, statistics and key destinations within the diverse region.

1. TOURISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST
AND NORTH AFRICA
TDM 458
Ara Pachmayer

2. OVERVIEW
 The Middle East is one of the original
cultural hearths
 Deserts, Arabs, Oil, Muslims and
geopolitical turmoil represent the common
conceptualization of the Middle East
 Development of the petroleum industry has
had a large impact on the region
 OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting
Countries) – member countries profoundly
influence global prices and production targets for
petroleum

3. INTRODUCTION
 Regions
 The Maghreb
 The Levant
 Anatolia
(Asia Minor)
 Mesopotamia
 Arabian
Peninsula

4. POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT
 Geography of the Population
 More than 400 million people
 Dominant population clusters around water
 Maghreb: more humid areas of the Atlas Mts. and coast
 Exotic Rivers - a river that comes from a humid area and
flows into a dry area that otherwise lacks streams, can
support irrigation
 Egypt’s Nile River Valley: 70 million live within 10 miles of
the river – one of the most densely populated places in the
world
 Jordan River Valley
 Kibbutz - Israeli collectively worked settlement that
produce grain, vegetable and orchard crops irrigated by
the Jordan River and feeder canals
 Agrotourism
 Tigris and Euphrates

5. POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT
 Oasis Life
 Areas where high groundwater or deep-water wells
provide reliable moisture
 Small agriculture settlements
 Trading Centers
 Al Ain, UAE - Oasis turned resort town

6. POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT
 Some of the world’s oldest urban areas
 Some are main tourist centers . . . Others are not
 Cairo vs. Baghdad
 Long Urban Legacy
 City life began in Mesopotamia (modern day
Iraq) and Egypt
 Rise of trade centers around 2000 B.C.
 These cities eventually became Centers of
Islamic religious administration and education
 Baghdad, Cairo
 Traditional urban core of an Islamic City - medina
 Often the main tourist attraction in an Islamic City
 Colonialism left European influence

7. POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT
 Signatures of Globalization
 Urban Centers have become focal points of
economic growth
 Oil wealth has added modern elements to
traditional cities
 A Region on the Move
 Migration
 Rural to Urban – like we see in Latin America and Africa
 Migration of low-wage workers from other areas (e.g.
Bangladesh workers in Dubai)
 Migration of workers from the region elsewhere

8. POPULATION IN THE REGION

9. PATTERNS OF RELIGION
 Heart of the Judeo - Christian Tradition
Jews and Christians trace their roots to the
eastern Mediterranean
 The emergence of Islam
Originated in Middle East in 622 A.D.
Judaism and Christianity share many of the
same prophets

10. PATTERNS OF RELIGION
 The emergence of Islam
 Five Pillars
 Repeat the basic creed to accept Islam, Pray five times
daily facing Mecca, Give charitable contributions (if
possible), Fast during the month of Ramadan
 Make at least one religious pilgrimage to Mecca - the
Hajj
 Theocratic State - one in which religious leaders
guide policy - for example Iran

11. PATTERNS OF RELIGION
 The emergence of Islam
 Major religious schism divided Islam early on,
and until today
 Shiites and Sunnis
 Conflicts impact stability of the region today
 Modern Islamic diversity
 Muslim majority in region, except for Israel and
Cyprus
 Sunni (73%), Shiites (23%) dominant in Iran, southern
Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan and Bahrain

12. DIFFUSION OF ISLAM

13. REGIONAL CULTURES IN GLOBAL
CONTEXT
 Islamic Internationalism
 Islamic communities well established in Central
China, European Russia, the Balkans, Central
Africa, southern Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia
 Globalization and Cultural Change
 Global economy is having an impact on traditional
cultural values
 Fundamentalism is a reaction in small minority
 Access to satellite TV, cell phones, the internet brings
global culture to the region
 Some cities are trying to balance these complex
cultures – Dubai is pursuing modern growth but still
protecting cultural heritage and religious tradition

14. GEOPOLITICAL FRAMEWORK
 The Colonial Legacy
 European colonialism came late
 Widespread European colonialism after WWI
 Many political boundaries set by colonial powers
 Imposing European Power
 French in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Syria and
Lebanon since 1800
 Italians in Libya, Spanish in Morocco
 Turkey, Iran (Persia) never occupied
 Britain in Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf by
1900
 Suez Canal
 British instrumental in establishing Saudi Arabia

16. GEOPOLITICAL FRAMEWORK
 Imposing European Power
 Decolonization and Independence
 Europeans began to withdraw before WWII
 By 1950 most independent
 Algeria independent in 1962
 Modern Geopolitical Issues
 The Arab-Israeli Conflict
 Creation of Israel in 1948
 Three wars - 1956, 1967 (when Israel gained most land)
and 1973
 Intifada - 1987 - Palestinian uprising protesting Jewish
settlements; Second Intifada in 2000
 Ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians

18. GEOPOLITICAL FRAMEWORK
 Modern Geopolitical Issues
 Conflicts within states in addition to Iraq and
Israel
 Lebanon
 Cyprus
 Green Line - demarcation set up by UN peacekeepers that
divided the capital of Nicosia
 Arab Spring
 Current Anti-American Sentiment
 An uncertain Political Future
 International political relations remain complex
 Israel, Turkey, Jordan are US allies; Iran, Syria oppose
US
 Oil plays a major role

20. ECONOMIC & SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
 Geography of Fossil Fuels
 Oil unevenly distributed in the area
 Saudi Arabia, Iran, U.A.E., Libya, Algeria contribute
significantly to oil production, while Morocco and Sudan
have few developed petroleum reserves
 This region has 7% of the world’s population; holds 68%
of the world’s proven petroleum reserves
 Regional Economic Patterns
 Higher-Income Oil Exporters
 Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, U.A.E.
 Cultural landscape reshaped because of oil wealth
 Not all benefit – rural Shiites and foreign workers
 High levels of disposable income makes these countries
large tourist source countries

21. ECONOMIC & SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
 Regional Economic Patterns
 Lower-Income Oil Exporters
 Algeria: oil and natural gas are its top exports; but
political instability remains a problem
 Iran: has huge oil reserves, but long war with Iraq (1980-
90), and withdrawal from world trade under
fundamentalist government have lowered living
standards
 Prospering Without Oil
 Israel has highest living standard in the region
 Growing hi-tech industry
 Turkey has a diversified economy; has seen growth

22. ECONOMIC & SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
 Regional Economic Patterns
 Regional Patterns of Poverty
 Morocco is poorer than Algeria or Tunisia and suffers
from brain drain
 Brain drain – phenomenon in which some of brightest young
people leave for better jobs in Western Europe
 Egypt’s prospects unclear, with growth in 1990s, but
large gaps between rich and poor
 Yemen is poorest country in the Arabian Peninsula
 Increasing Islamic Extremists presence

23. ECONOMIC & SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
 Global Economic Relationships
 Changing Global Linkages
 Oil is the major export of the region
 Oil makes up 70% of region’s exports
 OPEC still influences cost and availability of petroleum
 Turkey exports textiles, food products, and
manufactured goods
 Israeli exports include cut
diamonds, electronics, machinery parts
 Tourism includes religious and historical sites, other
activities
 Regional Connections
 Relationships with the EU are critical; Turkey asks to join
EU (not admitted, but is a member of NATO)

24. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

25. CONCLUSIONS
 The Middle East and North Africa played critical role
in world history and globalization
 Important cultural hearth and religious center at the
intersection of three continents
 Oil plays world role in development of the region
 Political conflicts disrupt economic development
 Tension between modern ways and fundamentalist
traditions impacts tourism in the country and where
the population travels
 Diverse and often harsh and fragile environment

26. TOURISM TODAY

27. REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
 Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
 Created in 1969
 Member Countries
 5 Islamic countries ruled by Islamic law -
Afghanistan, Brunei-Darussalam, Iran, Mauritania, Pakistan
 9 monarchies -
Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia, UAE
 41 republics - Albania, Algeria, countries in
Africa, Asia, South America
 2 other - Palestine and Libya
 Purpose
 A UN for Muslims
 A separate Universal Declaration of Human Rights
 Section which focuses on tourism

28. REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
 Member Countries
 Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE
 Purpose
 To formulate similar regulations in various fields such as
economy, finance, trade, customs, tourism, legislation and
administration
 To foster scientific and technical progress
 To establish scientific research centers
 To set up joint ventures
 To encourage cooperation in the private sector
 To strengthen ties between the citizens of member states
 To establish a common currency, the Khaleeji by 2010 . . .
haven’t yet

29. TOURISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST &
NORTH AFRICA
 Ancient historical sites and globally significant
religious localities are a large draw
 Tourist hotels and condos on the Mediterranean
 Tourism is a large part of the regional economy in
Turkey, Israel, and Egypt

30. TOURISM STATISTICS & TRENDS IN THE
MIDDLE EAST (Excluding Turkey and Israel)
 5.6% of total global international arrivals (small
increase from 2011)
 Set backs in growth but still the Fastest growing
region in world
 Average of 7.3% annual growth 2005-11 in terms
of arrivals
 Tourism down
 41% in Syria, 32% in Egypt, 24% in Lebanon
 But tourism up
 60% in Saudi Arabia - efforts to increase role of
tourism in the country’s economy
 9% in Dubai specifically (only emirate reporting)
 Continued investment in tourism
(UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia)

31. MIDDLE EAST AS A SOURCE MARKET
Emerging source market
People in the region have money to spend!
36 million people traveling internationally
8.1% annual growth 2005-11 (highest in world)

32. INTERNATIONAL TOURISM
EXPENDITURES
 Highest expenditures
 Turkey - $23 Billion
 Saudi Arabia - $8.4 Billion
 UAE (Dubai) - $ 9.2 Billion
 Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE (Dubai) account for 57%
of tourism expenditures in Middle East (not
counting Turkey)

33. DESTINATIONS

34.  Business tourism in Riyadh
 Shopping and Coastal Tourism in Jeddah
 Over 2 million Muslim pilgrims to Mecca and
Medina annually
SAUDI ARABIA

35.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4nfycGHnK8&fe
ature=related
 Hajj tourism packages
THE HAJJ

36.  Crossroads of Europe/Middle East
 Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Ottoman
Empire
 Archaeological and history sites are the
foundation of tourism in Turkey
 EU Rejection…(somewhat more economically stable
then many of EU nations)
 Very Diverse Attractions
 Istanbul (Constantinople)
 Blue Mosque and Hagia Sofia
 Mediterranean Coast (Turquoise Coast)
 Black Sea Coast is underdevelopment
 Cappadocia
TURKEY

38.  Continued Violence
 Israel entry stamp
 Sacred sites and cities
 Pilgrimage destination for Jews, Christians, and Muslims
 Perception by Westerners
 TV media coverage leads most to conclude it is not a safe
place
 Diverse tourism in Israel
 Source and destination for Backpackers- Traditionally long-
term, young, middle class on an independently organized
budget orientated trip
 Kibbutz
 Cruise
 Dead Sea and Spa Tourism
 Jerusalem and Bethlehem
ISRAEL

39.  Over 2 million annual visitors to Israel
 Relationship with USA major driver of demand
 VFR and Birthright
 Many international connections to Tel Aviv
 National Carrier El Al
 US Airways started flights from Philadelphia-Tel Aviv
 Large source of outbound tourism
 3 million annual outbound tourists
 Lots of VFR tourists
ISRAEL

41.  Abu Dhabi and Sharjah concentrated on business and
conference tourism
 Dubai Explosion of mass tourism
 Heavy investment for development of state-of-art
infrastructure, facilities, and man-made attractions
 Transportation Hub
 Cruise Terminal
 Emirates airlines and Dubai International Airport
 50+ A380s on order/delivered
 $9 billion investment in new A380 dedicated terminal
 Shopping Malls (Mall of Emirates and Dubai Mall)
 Nightlife (Playground of Middle East)
 Sport Tourism (golf, racing, tennis, yachting, marinas)
 Artificial Islands (Palm Islands and World Islands)
 Desert Safaris
 Iconic buildings (Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the
world and Burj al Arab - the most expensive hotel in the
world)
UAE AND DUBAI

44. DUBAI ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAg
4pHDeXjA
And recovery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apg
RUQ-WX3g

45. EGYPT
 Population of 70 million people
 20 million in Cairo
 Nile River
 Pyramids
 Luxor
 Alexandria
 Oasis tourism
 Red Sea Coast (dive and resort tourism)
 Religious sights (Mt. Sinai)
 Tourism concerns
 Reef destruction
 Rise of fundamentalism among lower social classes
 Overloaded infrastructure
 Pollution and Urban sprawl of Cairo for Pyramids

47. JORDAN
 Significant oil resources so money to invest in infrastructure
 Two diverse populations
 Palestinian refugees and Bedouin Tribes
 Participate in tourism through camel guiding, overnight
experiences to Bedouin camps
 King Hussein instrumental in development of tourism
 Relatively progressive government
 Major attractions
 Petra (Indiana Jones/Transformers 2 temple)
 Dead Sea
 Wadi Rum
 Roman city of Jerash
 Pilgrimage sites on Jordan River (where Jesus was
baptized)
 Beach and Resorts on Red Sea (Aqaba)
 Most hotel development in capital Amman and Aqaba

49. EMERGING DESTINATIONS
Would you take a vacation in Iraq?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-
middle-east-11392098