Sustainable Culture Tourism_Egypt

Barmelgy, H. M., "Visitor Management Plan and Sustainable Culture Tourism", International Journal of Education and Research, vol. 1, issue 12 - ISSN: 2201-6333, pp. 154-181, 2013. Abstractvmp_cairo_citadel_barmelgy_h._m_2013.pdfWebsite

Historical Sites all over the world have been threatened lately by a number of serious issues. Amongst the most significant issues encountered are the challenges and pressures of the tourist industry on the natural and historical fabric of these sites. The UNESCO has initiated the World Heritage Sites project for more than 50 years aiming to provide a method for applying continuous monitoring for preservation of these sites. After all, these sites bare the history of humanity all around the world. The social, cultural and environmental heritages of societies are priceless assets that can never be ignored or replaced. However, following the announcement of the WHS, these sites have started to gain popularity in the form of additional tourism attraction. In addition, they started to suffer great sources of threats as direct results of an unsustainably managed tourism. The paper provokes the ability of visitor management plan to release the pressure and safe guard these sites for the future generation while allowing the current generation the satisfaction of attaining their economic requirements presented in the tourism industry. Visitor management plan has been widely accepted lately as an efficient tool for promoting sustainable culture tourism products in historical sites.

Barmelgy, H. M., and M. M. EL-Sayed, "Sustainability Indicators an International Tool as a Local Recipe", Journal of Urban Research, vol. 11, issue 2090-0694, pp. 1-21, 2014. Abstractindicators_a_tool_for_promoting_sct_in_historical_areas_barmelgy_h._m_2013.pdf

Most developing countries seek international tools to overcome their local problems. Such international tools, being imported and implemented without any attempts to localise them have led to their inability, in many circumstances, to address developing countries local problems. The paper presents a practical research for localising an international tool, aiming to utilise it as an efficient sustainability tool for promoting sustainable tourism in heritage market areas. The paper methodology utilises theoretical studies’ findings in composing an international list of sustainable tourism indicators. Aiming to prove the efficiency of the international tool, the paper conducted a correlated analysis, studying the ability and efficiency of the tool in addressing the local existing problems of tourism in heritage market areas. Although the tool did prove its high predictive ability to deal with existing local problems, still the ability to apply the international tool within the limitation of the local context is a valid threat hindering the efficiency of the tool. The main problem lies in the tool’s long list being composed of 45 indicators. Such comprehensive list would require adequate data resources and special expertise to interpret the data in order to achieve the required efficiency of the tool; which is not available in developing countries. The paper concluded a practical empirical field survey study, aiming to localise the list to match the requirements and limitations of the Egyptian condition. The study targeted a group of experts in the field of sustainability and historical tourism development. Based on the findings of the study the list was reduced to comprise only the 13 most effective indicators. Finally, the paper conducted a correlative analytical study between the final localised list and the existing tourism problems of the area. The findings of the study proved the list to have an expected efficiency rate of around 88% in guiding the implementation of sustainable tourism in heritage market areas.

Barmelgy, H. M., and M. M. EL-Sayed, "Heritage Markets Tourism and Sustainable Development of Historical Areas", Engineering Research Journal , vol. 137, issue ISSN: 1110-5615, pp. AA62-AA84, 2013. Abstractst_and_sd_of_historical_areas_barmelgy_h._m_2013.pdf

Egypt is a developing country with very limited industrial resources and a very fragile economic sector. Such a situation has been the result of hundreds of years of miss-planning and miss-management of the country’s resources; due to the factors of internal corruption and external agendas that target the economic sector of the country, which aimed to compromise any future chances of this country in regaining its pride and civilization. Apart from the undeniable catastrophic economic situation of the country, the country still has a variety of historical assets that could redevelop its economic situation through sustainable development. However, these areas are not in a better condition than the rest of the country. Most of these areas have been suffering badly, either due to a long time of ignorance and lack of maintenance or due to the unsustainable urban development that affects the outer and inner context of these historical areas. Such reforms will require huge investments to build up the appropriate sustainable development of the historical areas and their communities. The paper asserts the possibility of utilizing the heritage markets of these areas by attracting and promoting sustainable tourism. Such ability would provide the required revenues for introducing sustainable development to the entire historical areas. The paper adopted a methodology that aimed, through a group of theoretical studies, to define the expected positive contribution that sustainable tourism would introduce to historical areas and sites. On the other hand, a defined set of negative existing conditions of heritage markets were defined based on a field survey. Finally, the paper conducted an analytical correlation study that aimed to prove the efficiency of sustainable tourism in overcoming problems of heritage markets; thus, introducing sustainability to historical areas.

Barmelgy, H. M., "Historical Areas Community Visioning 3D Model", Engineering Research Journal , vol. 115, issue 1110-5615, pp. A1-A17, 2008. Abstractcommunity_vissioning_3d_model_barmelgy_h._m_2008.pdf

Historical areas of the world are areas with unique urban fabric; including cultural patterns, traditions, and lifestyles associated with a place (Inskeep, 1991). The importance of such locations all around the world is very well recognised as the world cultural heritage that should be preserved for the future generations as well as for the current ones. However, these areas are already facing the threats of globalisation and the tourism industry especially in developing countries. Conservation as a process is of crucial importance for the survival, and the preservation of the world historical areas. However, after more than decades from promoting conservation the doubts regarding the efficiency of the process within the development limitation of the developing countries have been recognised. The need for an innovation through which integration can be applied aiming to affectively promote the conservation process.
The paper provoked the ability of sustainable culture tourism to introduce sustainable development to historical areas; having positive effects on social, culture and economic dimension thus providing the ignition for the sustainable development process of the area. However, to practically promote sustainability there is a need to utilise the appropriate, practical, and simple sustainability tool. The paper argued the ability of ‘Community Visioning’ to achieve the required sustainability objective, not only that but utilising the tool the paper innovated a model for applying the required ‘sustainable culture tourism development’ defined as the 3D community vision model (3DCV Model).
In a practical attempt to examine the applicability of the model the paper conducted a survey targeting the representatives of a historical destination community defined as hosts, guests, and the historical dimensions. Aiming, to define the degree of consistency and integration of vision that can be achieved among the defined 3 dimensions of the historical destinations.