Assessing Cultural Awareness towards Heritage Sites among Local Communities for Sustainable Tourism Development “The case of Qaitbay Castle in Alexandria”

Abstract

Qaitbay Castle is one of the most important heritage sites in Alexandria which has recently witnessed many negative practices. Therefore, this study evaluates the level of cultural awareness of residents in Qaitbay Castle area. It also investigates their gains from tourism advantages, as well as their participation in heritage preservation which helps achieving sustainable tourism development. The study was conducted through two methods: (1) interviews with managers in some tourism and heritage official institutions regarding their efforts to raise cultural awareness among local community; (2) A questionnaire to collect data from a random sample of 570 residents in the area of Qaitbay Castle. Four hundreds and eighty one questionnaires were valid to be analyzed. The results revealed the weakness of residents' cultural awareness and the lack of integrated program between the official authorities to enhance cultural awareness. Finally, some suggestions for enhancing community's awareness were proposed for managers and policy makers.

Awareness, Participation And Constraints To Cultural Festivals Tourism In Idanre Hills Resort, Nigeria

“…The oral interview thus show that the residents of Idanre Community are highly aware of the festivals being celebrated annually on Idanre Hills. Firma et al (2021) however reported moderate awareness of cultural festival among the residents while Kamel (2019) reported low level of awareness of cultural festivals. The key informants also stated their sources of awareness of the festivals celebrated on the hills:…”

The Role of Tour Guide Performance in Creating Responsible Tourist Behavior: An Empirical Study: Archaeological Sites in Alexandria

“…Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC, since then it became the capital of the Egypt until the early Islamic period (Ragheb, 2014;Lasaponara et al, 2017;Kamel, 2019).…”

“…The Citadel of Qaitbay: The Qaitbay fortress in Alexandria was known as one of the most important Islamic monuments in Alexandria (Kamel, 2019;Ragheb, 2014). The constructions work lasted two years, from 882-1477 to 884-1479 (Pradines, 2016) by the Sultan Al Ashraf Qaitbay Mamlouke in the place of the famous ancient Alexandria lighthouse on the eastern point of Pharos Island (Kamel, 2019) to protect the city and to ensure the safe passage of the ships in the harbors (Pradines, 2016). Thus, it has an important location on the entrance to Alexandria's eastern harbor (Darwish, 2018;Kamel, 2019).…”