Desert Tourism in Wadi Rum, Jordan: Destination Image, Challenges, and Planning Strategies

Abstract

This article offers a distinctive viewpoint on desert tourism in Wadi Rum, Jordan, through an examination of TripAdvisor reviews, which serve as a valuable repository of actual tourist impressions and experiences. The study examines the destination image of Wadi Rum as viewed by visitors by collecting and analyzing data from TripAdvisor reviews. Thematic analysis approach was used for analyzing a total of 1840 reviews about Wadi Rum (Only comments in English were included) that were collected using the Instant Data Scraper from TripAdvisor. The study findings provide a valuable insight into the destination image of Wadi Rum Protected Area as perceived by visitors. The analysis of tourists’ reviews on TripAdvisor using the thematic analysis approach resulted in an in-depth understanding of Wadi Rum destination image’s cognitive, affective, and conative components, which showed significant favorable attributes. The results of this study are consistent with previous research about the perception of tourism destination image. This study also illustrates the interconnections between the three dimensions of destination image in influencing tourists' opinions of Wadi Rum. This analysis of destination image of Wadi Rum is very useful for destination managers, planners and decision-makers, and academics who want to match tourism development with visitors' expectations and support the long-term and sustainable growth of desert tourism in Wadi Rum, Jordan.