Cultural heritage tourism (CHT) is one of the most significant tourist patterns that has grown substantially in recent years. This is because the majority of visitors have motives for seeking to learn more about the historical, cultural, and heritage-related sites in popular tourist destinations. Given the relative paucity of studies that addressed the key motivations for the CHT pattern in many countries throughout the world, including Oman, this highlights the necessity for further research into the motives that contribute to this pattern of tourism. As a result, this study seeks to focus on the motivations for CHT in Oman, with an emphasis on the UNESCO-listed World Heritage sites. This conceptual work helps scholars better understand the factors that influence the pattern of CHT while also giving them a number of perspectives for future research on the subject. The current work also offers destination managers and decision-makers in the tourism industry a set of practical contributions.
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Numerous patterns of tourism have developed as a result of the significant economic, social, and cultural impact that tourism has had in many countries, including those of the Middle East countries (Selmi et al., 2021; Soliman, 2015). These include cultural heritage tourism (CHT), which has gained popularity among both domestic and international tourists as an intriguing type of alternative tourism (Ismail et al., 2014). Cultural tourism, of which CHT is part (du Cros, 2001) is one of the most popular and quickly growing tourist subsectors globally. It is a type of economic activity that is seen as giving people access to culture and attracting tourists. Furthermore, tourism flows generated by culture and heritage have an uneven and irregular spatial distribution, with tourist destinations relying on cultural amenities, architectural treasures, museums, etc. (Secondi et al., 2011). According to Matteucci et al. (2022), a thorough study of the various socioeconomic changes and worldwide influences that have influenced how people live is necessary for any attempt to predict the future of cultural tourism. CHT could contribute to economic development and provides sustainable benefits for the future, promoting and preserving cultural and natural heritage. With its vast range of sub-sectors (including archaeology, architecture, art, historic tours, museums, music festivals, and opera), CHT will continue to expand in popularity over the upcoming years (Surugiu & Surugiu, 2015). Cultural heritage is thus made up of both tangible and intangible assets. This work concentrates on tangible cultural heritage (ICH) which is a valued asset among the resources and attractions of tourism destinations (Hsu et al., 2022).
According to Seyfi et al. (2019), a sizeable portion of the worldwide tourism market is CHT. This includes the Middle East, where Oman is one of the most popular travel destinations thanks to its unrivaled natural and cultural attractions (Alkathiri & Soliman, 2022; Elbaz et al., 2022; Mathew & Soliman, 2021). Oman is distinguished in this sense by its cultural heritage sites. The nation has a number of sites that are part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage list as well as other tentative lists of sites that are up for nomination. The UNESCO world heritage sites in Oman are the ancient city of Qalhat; Bahla Fort; Archaeological sites of Bat, Al-Khutm, and Al-Ayn; Aflaj Irrigation Systems of Oman; and Land of Frankincense- are listed in UNESCO (2023). In addition to these, there are seven sites on the tentative list: the forts of Rostaq and Al-Hazm; Al Hallaniyat Islands proposed nature reserve; Bar Al Hakman proposed nature reserve; Smahan’s mountain nature reserve; Al Dimaniyat Islands nature reserve; Ras Al Hadd turtle reserve and the Heritage site of Ras Al Jinz; the cultural landscape of Bisya and Salut and its archaeological remains.