The Historical Old Jeddah, otherwise called Al-Balad, was inscribed in the UNESCO world heritage list in 2014. Since then, the international recognition has strengthened its appeal as a heritage tourism destination, and the need for a promising heritage tourism plan has become essential. Many researchers intended to develop heritage tourism plans from a decision maker's perspective, but few studies have explored heritage resources from tourists' perspective. The objective of this study is to evaluate tourists' experience of and satisfaction with the Al-Balad heritage site. The study defines factors which influence their experience such as presented information; comfort and safety; cultural values; and entertainment experiences. A field study and a structured survey are conducted in order to analyze the quality of the tourists' experience. The research, by utilizing the information gathered in this survey, concludes with considerations to be incorporated into the tourism plan of the old city. The outcome of this research shall contribute to the Saudi 2030 vision of enabling and enhancing the development of tourism sector and promoting the Islamic, Arab and National heritage of the Kingdom.
Tourists visiting urban heritage sites are guided by constructed itineraries that are shaped by a coherent spatial structure. This article studies the shaping of these itineraries in the heritage city of Al-Ula, using space syntax technique. The main hypothesis is that a placemaking approach of a destination based on its specificities will be able to contribute to the tourism development and place attractiveness. Building on previously developed place-making models, this study focuses on how a well-accessed and linked heritage site can be modelled and evaluated via Space Syntax measures to improve the quality of tourists' spatial experience. As the use of space syntax was found to be a useful technique for analysing tourists' itineraries and the factors that affect it; This study uses it to suggest the most appropriate pedestrian walkway given the various constraints of the existing historic fabric and to identify multiple measures of a destination's assessment. These measures have been noted in the previously developed models. The adopted measures that address access & linkage parameters include connectivity, integration, choice, and legibility. The findings explain that the adoption of access & linkage parameters contribute to revitalising the place in the sense of connecting the entire heritage site and enhancing the visitors experience.
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