Pages: 17

In this chapter, I introduce the theme of overtourism in emerging cruise destinations and its dimensions within space and cultures. My research contributes to the discussion on the political economy and the sociology of tourism. I critically question the overconsumption or overaccumulation of people, places and services. My book calls for a more conscious, just, responsible and therefore sustainable tourism and towards rethinking the current operations and practices in tourism. It also aspires to challenge the reader to reflect on their own travel behaviours and on-site experiences. Tourism can be used as a tool to create a society that is more socially and environmentally responsible and just.

Pages: 31

In this chapter, I highlight major concepts that have emerged from my study such as mobility, time-space compression, cruise tourism, the local community, their social capital and tourism imaginaries about Oriental destinations. These concepts develop around critical geographies, globalization and faster mobilities, causing overtourism and various sociocultural impacts when too many people are visiting destinations in the Global South. Fast mobilities and time-space compression are linked with a disconnection of social relations within destinations, the people and their cultures. It has promoted the emergence of enclosed tourist bubbles that focus on the tourists’ well-being. Consequently, this has increased negative impacts on the well-being of communities and the degradation of their tangible and intangible heritage. Here, I wish to enhance awareness of these negative implications and an understanding of a more people-centred, mindful and ethical approach to tourism, its planning, marketing and development in emerging destinations on the Arabian Peninsula.

Pages: 20

The Sultanate of Oman and its neighbouring partners in the GCC region have been expanding their maritime and aviation infrastructure at a fast pace while competing with each other in the past decade. Oman's mega-cruise tourism ambitions were spurred in particular by the rapid growth of mega-cruise tourism in neighbouring UAE and in particular in the Emirate of Dubai. In this chapter, I outline the research setting within a growth-oriented, boosterism tourism development strategy. I link my study on overtourism, mega-cruise tourism, tourist experiences and local community perceptions with the setting on the Arabian Peninsula. Moreover, I introduce the geographic, historic, economic and sociocultural environment of my research.

Pages: 20

In this chapter, I outline the mixed methods used throughout my long-term micro-sociological research presented in this book. My book is a conceptual and theoretical reflection of my long-term, slow, empathetic research and action research that aims at promoting awareness and discussion about the phenomenon of overtourism in an emerging cruise destination. I explain my approach, the research process in both locations on the Arabian Peninsula and the male gaze. I will introduce my female experiences as a researcher, conducting social research in predominantly male-dominated public spaces and “the macho gaze”.

Pages: 44

In the following three chapters, I will outline my research results from my study. I analyse tourist imaginaries and experiences within space, time and cultures and community perceptions during a time of tourism growth followed by a sudden decline due to the corona pandemic. Tourists visit an urban destination, Souq Muttrah (Chapters 5 and 6), then they visit a rural destination, the Sharqiyah Sands desert and an oasis (Chapter 7). While on tour with the tourists, I analyse social and cultural processes that occur within the environments visited and their implications for the local communities. The German-speaking tourists visit places as a dichotomy of ‘exotic’ experiences, away from home. They are searching for a “communitas”, a new identity while originating from a country without direct linkages and a colonial history with Oman.

Pages: 42

In the following chapter, I will analyse cruise tourist behaviour in public and community reactions of a silent resistance towards the increase in tourist numbers and tourist behaviours in Souq Muttrah in Muscat. I will highlight the social changes that developed because of ‘undertourism’, a phenomenon that evolved in Muttrah from March 2020 onwards. As part of the increase in tourists, a hybrid space developed, conceptualized in a less mindful, less respectful dress behaviour and “care ethic” towards the local culture. This was evident, e.g. in revealing outfits. On the Arabian Peninsula, the dress is part of the national and individual identity. Moreover, I will outline some local identities through life-stories and narratives of Omanis and other well established Non-Omani community members. Among the local, male-dominated business community, the stereotyping of tourists has increased. The relaxed dress code is reflecting a laissez-faire attitude of the cruise liner. Parts of the local community feel that their social values are harmed, which confirms earlier research.

Pages: 34

On-site tourist experiences within “enclosed tourist bubbles” and local community reactions in the periphery will be explored in this chapter. This will be done according to the travel phases. I trace the tourists’ views and their paths throughout an excursion to the Sharqiyah Sands desert while analysing German tourists’ imaginaries and experiences and the main features that create the spiritual and aesthetic value of the desert, influencing the tourist's identity creation. The tourist experiences are embedded in community views about the ethics of tourism, tourist behaviours and social values towards more sustainable tourism activities and tourism development in the periphery.

Pages: 14

In this chapter, management implications for a more sustainable tourism in emerging destinations on the Arabian Peninsula are discussed. It has been argued that a valuable sustainable form of tourism that is more holistic, equitable and future-oriented is extremely difficult to achieve within a capitalist economic system due to its extractive, imperialistic and dependent nature of the tourism production, promotion and its fast mass consumption. In the following, I will give some recommendations for a more holistic, people and nature-centred tourism planning and management.

Pages: 18

Overtourism in destinations on the Arabian Peninsula has resulted in enclosed tourist bubbles, enhancing sociocultural impacts for the local community, their values as well as impacts for tourists, their imaginaries, embodied experiences and changing authenticities. When tourism stakeholders accept, respect and act according to a slower and more sustainable utilization of our natural, social and economic resources a more future-oriented form of tourism can be achieved. The goal is to create a kind of tourism that is little extractive, supporting communities and local supply chains. Instead of quantity, in particular cruise tourism should be about quality experiences and a more conscious consumption enhancing a positive way of “being in the world” within a global awareness and compassion for our planet, for other people and cultures.