Sustainable Tourism Impacts in the City of Madaba, Jordan
Monther M. Jamhawi
Department of City Planning and Design, College of Architecture and Design, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
Abdulla Al-Shorman *
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
Roa’a J. Zidan
Department of Architecture Engineering, Applied Science University, Amman, Jordan
Zain A. Hajahjah
Department of City Planning and Design, College of Architecture and Design, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This paper assessed the indicators that presumably impact sustainable tourism in the region of Madaba, one of the most attractive sites in the Middle of Jordan. The indicators were classified into 5 subgroups and include managerial, economic, social, cultural and environmental impacts. The methods of the study relied on structured questionnaires that were distributed over stakeholder and locals. The results show that the carrying capacity at the attraction sites is very high (high tourist flow in a small area). The wastewater, water and energy management is severely impacted as well as transportation. The social impact is also very high and it is substantially contested by the inelastic cultural norms and tradition especially when tackling women inequality and empowerment.
Keywords: Sustainability, tourism, Jordan, Madaba