Tourism And Deserts

Deserts are popular tourist destinations, but the growth of this tourism niche raises particular challenges, jeopardizing fragile ecosystems and straining scarce resources. This book analyzes the relationship between tourism and sustainable development of those territories, addressing issues raised by architecture, landscape design, and planning.

The last quarter century has seen extensive research on the ports of the Red Sea coast of Egypt, the road systems connecting them to the Nile, and the mines and quarries in the region. Missing has been a systematic study of the peoples of the Eastern Desert--the area between the Red Sea and the Nile Valley--in whose territories these ports, roads, mines, and quarries were located. The historical overview of the Eastern Desert in the shape of a roughly chronological narrative presented in this book fills that gap. The multidisciplinary perspective focuses on the long-term history of the region. The extensive range of topics addressed includes specific historical periods, natural resources, nomadic survival strategies, ancient textual data, and the interaction between Christian hermits and their neighbors. The breadth of perspective does not sacrifice depth, for all authors deal in some detail with the specifics of their subject matter. As a whole, this collection provides an outline of the history and sociology of the Eastern Desert unparalleled in any language for its comprehensiveness. As such, it will be the essential starting point for future research on the Eastern Desert. Includes a CD of eleven audio files with music of the Ababda Nomads, and six short videos of Ababda culture.

Since the post World War Two boom in private automobile ownership, Drive Tourism has transformed the tourism landscape by facilitating dispersal and the growth of attractions and tourism related infrastructure beyond the zones that had previously emerged around seaports and railway terminals. The automobile has made regional dispersal possible and created opportunities for many small rural communities to supplement rural economies with a tourism economy. Drive Tourism is a popular form of tourism activity that has significantly contributed to the development of Tourism in many nations, but has received relatively little attention in the literature. This book is the first attempt to provide a global comprehensive review and scholarly investigation into this popular and growing form of tourism. It draws on a vast range of geographical locations to critically explore the impacts of drive tourism in developed and underdeveloped regions. It evaluates tourism authorities’ response to the Drive Tourism Experience, and offers operational insights into the management of the drive experience as well as providing original empirical research and insights into the field that will contribute to future investigation. In doing so it explores the many forms of drive tourism from caravanning to fly drive touring.