Toggle Main Menu Toggle Search

Open Access padlockePrints

The Role of Stakeholder Participation in Oman's Tourism Planning System

Lookup NU author(s): Ahmed Al Mahrizi, Professor Tim Gray, Professor Diana Gregory-SmithORCiD

Downloads


Licence

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

Oman is a country highly reliant on oil exports that wishes to expand tourism (among other industries) as a diversification policy. This paper assesses whether stakeholder participation (SP) in tourism planning decision-making would enhance or inhibit the country’s strategy of sustainable tourism development. Findings from 45 interviews and six focus groups with tourism stakeholders show that the current level of SP in tourism planning is limited; most stakeholders are keen to increase it; and the benefits of doing so include safeguarding Oman’s traditional environmental and cultural heritage. The paper contributes to the literature by demonstrating how the principle of SP is congruent with Oman’s political and cultural identity, and how, by supporting community-based tourism, SP can serve as an important factor in the country’s sustainable tourism development strategy.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Al Mahrizi ASK, Gray T, Gregory-Smith D, Stead SM

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Tourism Planning & Development

Year: 2024

Pages: Epub ahead of print

Online publication date: 25/07/2024

Acceptance date: 08/06/2024

Date deposited: 27/06/2024

ISSN (print): 2156-8316

ISSN (electronic): 2156-8324

Publisher: Routledge

URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/21568316.2024.2379904

DOI: 10.1080/21568316.2024.2379904

ePrints DOI: 10.57711/e9nd-c515

Data Access Statement: Primary data are not available because of ethical restrictions. Participants in this study did not agree for their data (from interviews and focused groups) to be shared publicly.


Altmetrics

Altmetrics provided by Altmetric


Share