Converting local cultural heritage into a tourism place resource: the case of ait bou guemmaz valley in the moroccan high atlas

  • Mohammed Sguenfel Director of a Research team on Territory and organizational Innovation ENCG. University IBN ZOHR, Agadir, Morocco
  • Hassan Khallaf PhD student,Department of Sociology,Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Social Sciences University IBN ZOHR, Agadir, Morocco
Keywords: cultural heritage, stakeholder, tourism place, local development

Abstract

The AIT BOU GUEMMAZ valley, one of the most reputed mountain destinations in Morocco, has undergone a remarkable decline in tourists’ arrival over the last two decades. Its cultural heritage assets has not been mobilized enough to contribute in boosting tourism place attractiveness. Therefore, the aim of the present paper is to explore the hypothesis according to which the construction of a customized and far-reaching discourse about local cultural heritage will lead to a diversification of the valley’s tourism product. Tourism local stakeholders are supposed to mobilize both tangible and intangible aspects of the local heritage through the elaboration of a “thick and appetizing” discourse that will appeal to all classes of tourists.The results of the following paper will not only inspire local stakeholders in designing tourism products, but will also help switch interest towards the vital importance of cultural heritage in local development

Author Biographies

Mohammed Sguenfel, Director of a Research team on Territory and organizational Innovation ENCG. University IBN ZOHR, Agadir, Morocco

Director of a Research team on Territory and organizational Innovation ENCG.

University IBN ZOHR, Agadir, Morocco

Hassan Khallaf, PhD student,Department of Sociology,Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Social Sciences University IBN ZOHR, Agadir, Morocco

PhD student,Department of Sociology,Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Social Sciences

University IBN ZOHR, Agadir, Morocco

References

ALBERNAZ, M. F. S., MANDARIN, M, F. and HOSAGRAGAR, J. (2011) ‘Why development needs culture’, Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, Vol.11, Issue 2, pp. 213-223.

ATELJEVIC, I., DOORNE, S. (2005), ‘Dialectics of authentication: performing exotic “otherness” in a backpacker enclave of Dali, China’ Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, Vol. 3, P. 1-17

BANDARIN, F, HOSAGRAHAR, J, ALBERNAZ, F, S, (2011) “Why development needs culture”, Journal of Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development, Vl. 1, Issue, 1, pp. 15-25.

CERNEA, M. M. (2001) Cultural Heritage and Development, Washington DC: World Bank.

BOUJROUF, S. (2004) « Patrimonialisation de de la montagne au Maroc : le rôle du tourisme en question », Actes du colloque Communication Interculturelle, Patrimoine et Tourisme, Publication de la Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines, Marrakech, pp. 57 – 70.

BOUJROUF, S. (2014) « Ressources patrimoniales et développement des territoires touristiques dans le Haut Atlas et les régions du sud du Maroc », Journal of Alpine Research, Revue de Géographie Alpine (en ligne), 102-1 I 2014, mise en ligne le 17 juin 2014, consulté le 10 Octobre 2018. URL, http:// rga.revue.org/2259; DOI: 10.40000/rga.2259.

FANG, K and ZHANG, Y. (2003) “Plan and market mismatch: Urban redevelopment in Bejiing during a period of transition”, Asia Pacific Viewpoint, Vol. 44, Issue 2, pp. 149-162

GIBLIN, D, (2017) ‘Touring and obscuring poverty: Urban and cultural-heritage tourism’, Heritage and Society, Vol 10, Issue 2, pp. 128-146

GOTHAM, K.F. (2001) “Urban redevelopment, past and present”, Research in Urban Sociology, Vol. 6, Issue 1, pp. 445-465

ILAHIANE, H, (2006). Historical Dictionary of the Berbers (IMAZIGHEN), Historical Dictionaries of People and Cultures, No. 5, The Scarecrow Press
JUPP, V, (2006) The Sage Dictionary of Social Methods, Sage Publications, London.

MACDONALD, S. (1997). ‘A people’s story: Heritage, Identity and Authenticity’, ROJEK and URRY, eds. Transformation of Travel and Theory. London. Routledge, pp. 137-157.
McKercher, B, CROS, H. (2012). Cultural Tourism, the Partnership between Tourism and Cultural Heritage Management, Routledge.

McCabe, S., STOKOE, E, H., (2004), Place and identity in tourists ‘accounts’, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 31, pp. 601-622.

McKercher, B. (2002) ‘Towards a classification of cultural tourists’, International Journal of Tourism Research, Vol. 4, Issue 1, pp. 29-38.

PAHOS, A, M, STAMOS, A, KICOSEV, S, (2010) ‘Cultural tourism in Europe’, UTMS Journal of Economics, Vol1, issue 1, pp. 85-92.

PECQUEUR, B. (2001), ‘Qualité et développement territorial : L’hypothèse du panier des biens et de services territorialisés’, Economie Rurale, no 26, janvier- Février, pp. 37-49

RODZY, M, I, N., ZAKI, A, S., SUBLI, H, M, S., (2013) ‘Between tourism and intangible cultural heritage’, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 85, p. 411-420.

ROJEK, C. (1997). ‘Indexing, dragging and the social construction of tourist sights’, ROJEK and URRY, eds. Transformation of Travel and Theory. London. Routledge, pp. 23-52.

ROLLIER, B, R. (1992). Anthropologie d’un Espace Montagnard, les AYT BOUGUEMMAZ du Haut Atlas Marocain, Thèse de Doctorat en anthropologie, soutenue 1992, Paris 5, 470 p.

RITCHIR, J, LEWIS, J, ELAM.G, (2003). “Designing and selecting samples”, Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers, ed. RITCHI, J and LEWIS, J, London SAGE Publications, pp. 109 – 137.

SCHEYVENS, R, (2002), ‘Backpacker tourism and third world development’, Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 29, No 1, pp. 144-164.

SHARPLEY, R. (2002) ‘Tourism a vehicle for development’. In SHARPLEY, R and TELFER, D, D.(eds) Tourism and Development, Concepts and Issues, Channel Publication Views, pp; 20 - 43

SILBERMAN, E, A, (2013), ‘discourses of development: Narratives of cultural heritage as an economic resource’, Heritage and Tourism: Place, Encounter, Engagement, ed. STAIFF, R, BOUSHER, R, Routledge, pp. 213-223.

SKOUNTI, A. (2006). ‘ Patrimoine et tourisme de montagne : AIT BOUGUEMMAZ (HAUT ATLAS CENTRAL), Le Tourisme de Montagne Réalités et Perspectives, Ed. BOUJROUF and TEBAA, Publication de l’Ecole Doctorale Internationale du Tourisme, pp.155-160.

STAMBOULIS, Y., SKAYANNIS, P. (2003). ‘Innovation strategies and technology for experienced-based tourism’ Tourism Management, Vol. 24, pp. 35 – 43.

STEFANO, M. DAVIS, L, CORSANE, G, (2012), Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage. Wondbridge, UK. Boydell

TIMOTHY, J, D. (2002) “Tourism and community development issues”, Tourism and Development: Concepts and Issues. Ed. Sharpley, R and Telfer, D, J. Channel View Publications, pp. 149-164.

TIMMOTHY, D, NYAUPANEG, G. (2009). Cultural Heritage and Tourism in the Developing World: A Regional Perspective, Routledge.

TIMOTHY, J, D, (2014), ‘Contemporary cultural heritage and tourism: Development issues and emerging trends’, Public Archeology, Vol.13, Issue 3, pp. 30-47

URRY, J. (1990). The Tourist Gaz: Leisure and Travel in Contemporary Societies. London: Sage.
Published
2019-07-09
How to Cite
Sguenfel, M., & Khallaf, H. (2019, July 9). Converting local cultural heritage into a tourism place resource: the case of ait bou guemmaz valley in the moroccan high atlas. Journal of Tourism and Heritage Research, 2(3), 195-212. Retrieved from http://jthr.es/index.php/journal/article/view/74