- Email: [email protected]
Tourism in the Middle East
1102
PUBLICATIONS IN REVIEW
The style is also very readable, written in a friendly and easily accessible way. The diverse glossary, which mixes theoretical terms such as anomie with industry terms such as occupancy level, is likely to help students throughout their university studies as a quick reference guide. The author suggests that students could make several uses of the text, including reading the whole book before beginning a degree program in tourism as well as using it as a review aid for exams. Certainly, this book would be equally helpful in both capacities. It would also be particularly useful as recommended reading for first-year undergraduate students before they enrol because of the introduction comments on learning at university. For the same reasons, while this text is aimed at undergraduate students, it may be equally of use to students studying for a preMasters program, especially if they have not studied tourism before. In each case, however, they would need to be aware that the content is only introductory and should be supplemented by a more indepth text such as Holloway (2006). This book is recommended for not only first-year tourism undergraduates, but possibly students from other programs who are taking tourism modules in the second and final years of degree programs and want a quick introduction to the field. The book also provides useful advice on preparing essays and other forms of assignments. Indeed, for students, the study skills and the glossary are likely to be the most useful sections of this text. Kirsten Holmes: School of Management, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU12 6JZ, United Kingdom. Email
REFERENCES Cooper, C., J. Fletcher, A. Fyall, D. Gilbert, and S. Wanhill 2006 Tourism Principles and Practice (3rd ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education. Holloway, C., and N. Taylor 2006 The Business of Tourism (7th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education. Assigned 23 February 2007. Submitted 3 May 2007. Accepted 4 May 2007 doi:10.1016/j.annals.2007.05.006 Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 1102–1104, 2007 Printed in Great Britain
Tourism in the Middle East Edited by Rami Farouk Daher. Channel View
PUBLICATIONS IN REVIEW
1103
‘‘Mashreq’’, and ‘‘Levant’’, are explained, and the role of the Ottoman Empire and the post-mandate impositions form a backdrop drawn from Said’s (1979) characterization of Orientalism. In this context, Damer draws on Foucault’s notions of power as the ‘‘extraction, production, distribution, or retention of knowledge’’ (p.6). Damer argues that the onset of tourism in this region was laden with implications because 19th century tourists coming to the region imagined themselves coming to a cultural landscape that had not changed since antiquity. He quotes Fuchs (1998) in defining the ‘‘timeless paradigm’’ of Orientalists who systematized a place that ‘‘had remained unchanged for millennia, thus marginalizing centuries of change and transformation’’ (p.7). Damer also hints at an ur-Orientalism at the root of Europe’s belated rediscovery of its Mediterranean roots and implicitly warns against any attempt at retrospective cultural appropriation through a superfluous æstheticization or reconstructed heritage. The inventions of tradition of New Gourna outside Luxor, and Kan Zaman in Jordan raise questions about authenticity that have wide resonance. The playscapes of Dubai with artificial ski slopes and the Ibn Battuta shopping malls imply a symbolism of exclusion and inclusion, of access to networks, and of surveillance and control that require an understanding of economics and consumption patterns to identify the ‘‘Jumeirah Janes’’ and their characteristic use of social capital. Many of the chapters elaborate these complex sociohistorical themes. Noha Nasser, for example, crafted a careful historiography of tourism in Cairo that illuminates not just the contemporary tourist’s experiences of insistent demands for bakhsheesh and newly-printed ‘‘ancient’’ papyrus hieroglyph sheets, but the Cairo of the Nobel-winning Egyptian novelist, Naguib Mahfouz. Xavier Guillot traces the history of accommodation in the region from the Khans of the Ottoman era, through the locandas of the Mediterranean entrepreneurs, to the luxury hotels for today’s tourists, intimating that efforts at preservation of historic buildings conceived as batiments by well-meaning colonialist conservationists had the effect of ‘‘separating them from their endowments and from their integral role in the urban fabric’’ (p.85). The ‘‘Levantin Space’’ created by the guides of Murray, Joanne, and Baedeker is a contested terrain and not easy pickings for the ‘‘normative international labelling system.’’ (p.107). One mistake made not just by tourists and some writers, but also by governments and international agencies, is to perceive this region as exempt from the processes of change that affect the rest of the world. A strength of this collection is that each chapter provides a sense of the continuing impact of change, development, and progress. Salam Al Mahadin and Peter Burns point out that ‘‘[i]n the case of the Arab world, the basis of the images and ideologies used and expressed, pre-perceptions, knowledge and pseudo-knowledge of countries and cultures, is formed prior to travelling, which in turn frames the tourists’ perceptions and prejudices during their stay’’ (p.137). Their interweaving of images of the near-pornographic exotic postcards of the 1920s and the promise of a 21st century Yemeni advertisement depicting ancient buildings with a veiled woman and hinting that ‘‘under a cool veil of mystery . . . a warm smile of welcome’’ may be found is disturbing and thought-provoking. The water-carriers who appear genial and picturesque in so many brochures are de-contextualized from the realities of urban deprivation and lack of infrastructural amenity. Aylim Orbasli juxtaposes the tourists’ search for authenticity in dilapidated buildings with the inhabitants’ expectation of modernization and urban renewal. He compares the situation to English purchasers of French farmhouses who satisfy their hunger for authenticity in the run-down and amenity-poor rural buildings and are viewed as aberrant by many French residents.
1104
PUBLICATIONS IN REVIEW
David Homa describes the potential for clashes of culture in contacts between Bedouin and tourists in the attempts to control ‘‘paradise’’ in Sinai and advises that while the they may believe that they are interfacing directly with authentic Bedouin lifestyles and behaviour patterns, in reality ‘‘over 90 to 95% of all businesses in the Sinai that visitors come into contact with are owned and run by Egyptians from Egypt proper’’ (p.245). Moreover, the ‘‘Bedouin’’ bracelets sold by the girls clustering around the tourists are probably ‘‘brought to Sinai by young Israelis vacationing in the Sinai who in turn had first brought similar bracelets back from South America’’ (p.245). Salam al Mahadin’s chapter brings questions of power back to center stage and shows how the privileging of certain apparently innocuous discourse in marketing the special opportunities of Jordanian tourism, in practice, serves the purposes of state-directed nationalism by creating links between culture and entertainment that tend to camouflage oppression and power relations. Every chapter provides evidence that this collection does what the title promises. It does indeed reconceptualize tourism in the Middle East and it will doubtless become required reading for students and scholars of this fascinating and littleunderstood region. David Weir: CERAM Sophia Antipolis, Sophia Antipolis, France 06902. Email
REFERENCES Said, E. 1979 Orientalism. London: Routledge. Fuchs, R. 1998 The Palestinian-Arab House and the Islamic ‘‘primitive hut’’. Muqarnas 15:157–177.
Assigned 12 December 2006. Submitted 7 May 2007. Resubmitted 14 May 2007. Accepted 14 May 2007 doi:10.1016/j.annals.2007.05.009 Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 1104–1106, 2007 Printed in Great Britain
De la Fonda a l’Hotel: La ge`nesi de una economia turı´stica Joan Carles Cirer. Edicions Documenta Balears (pas d’en Quint, 5 entreso`l-3, 07001 Palma, Spain) 2004, 260 pp (illustrations, tables, bibliography, index) €18.00 Pbk. ISBN 84-96376-07-9 Javier Caletrı´o Lancaster University, UK One of the paradoxes of tourism studies is the lack of attention paid to the Mediterranean. The region is the world’s most popular destination and yet very little is
PUBLICATIONS IN REVIEW
The style is also very readable, written in a friendly and easily accessible way. The diverse glossary, which mixes theoretical terms such as anomie with industry terms such as occupancy level, is likely to help students throughout their university studies as a quick reference guide. The author suggests that students could make several uses of the text, including reading the whole book before beginning a degree program in tourism as well as using it as a review aid for exams. Certainly, this book would be equally helpful in both capacities. It would also be particularly useful as recommended reading for first-year undergraduate students before they enrol because of the introduction comments on learning at university. For the same reasons, while this text is aimed at undergraduate students, it may be equally of use to students studying for a preMasters program, especially if they have not studied tourism before. In each case, however, they would need to be aware that the content is only introductory and should be supplemented by a more indepth text such as Holloway (2006). This book is recommended for not only first-year tourism undergraduates, but possibly students from other programs who are taking tourism modules in the second and final years of degree programs and want a quick introduction to the field. The book also provides useful advice on preparing essays and other forms of assignments. Indeed, for students, the study skills and the glossary are likely to be the most useful sections of this text. Kirsten Holmes: School of Management, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey GU12 6JZ, United Kingdom. Email
REFERENCES Cooper, C., J. Fletcher, A. Fyall, D. Gilbert, and S. Wanhill 2006 Tourism Principles and Practice (3rd ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education. Holloway, C., and N. Taylor 2006 The Business of Tourism (7th ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education. Assigned 23 February 2007. Submitted 3 May 2007. Accepted 4 May 2007 doi:10.1016/j.annals.2007.05.006 Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 1102–1104, 2007 Printed in Great Britain
Tourism in the Middle East Edited by Rami Farouk Daher. Channel View
PUBLICATIONS IN REVIEW
1103
‘‘Mashreq’’, and ‘‘Levant’’, are explained, and the role of the Ottoman Empire and the post-mandate impositions form a backdrop drawn from Said’s (1979) characterization of Orientalism. In this context, Damer draws on Foucault’s notions of power as the ‘‘extraction, production, distribution, or retention of knowledge’’ (p.6). Damer argues that the onset of tourism in this region was laden with implications because 19th century tourists coming to the region imagined themselves coming to a cultural landscape that had not changed since antiquity. He quotes Fuchs (1998) in defining the ‘‘timeless paradigm’’ of Orientalists who systematized a place that ‘‘had remained unchanged for millennia, thus marginalizing centuries of change and transformation’’ (p.7). Damer also hints at an ur-Orientalism at the root of Europe’s belated rediscovery of its Mediterranean roots and implicitly warns against any attempt at retrospective cultural appropriation through a superfluous æstheticization or reconstructed heritage. The inventions of tradition of New Gourna outside Luxor, and Kan Zaman in Jordan raise questions about authenticity that have wide resonance. The playscapes of Dubai with artificial ski slopes and the Ibn Battuta shopping malls imply a symbolism of exclusion and inclusion, of access to networks, and of surveillance and control that require an understanding of economics and consumption patterns to identify the ‘‘Jumeirah Janes’’ and their characteristic use of social capital. Many of the chapters elaborate these complex sociohistorical themes. Noha Nasser, for example, crafted a careful historiography of tourism in Cairo that illuminates not just the contemporary tourist’s experiences of insistent demands for bakhsheesh and newly-printed ‘‘ancient’’ papyrus hieroglyph sheets, but the Cairo of the Nobel-winning Egyptian novelist, Naguib Mahfouz. Xavier Guillot traces the history of accommodation in the region from the Khans of the Ottoman era, through the locandas of the Mediterranean entrepreneurs, to the luxury hotels for today’s tourists, intimating that efforts at preservation of historic buildings conceived as batiments by well-meaning colonialist conservationists had the effect of ‘‘separating them from their endowments and from their integral role in the urban fabric’’ (p.85). The ‘‘Levantin Space’’ created by the guides of Murray, Joanne, and Baedeker is a contested terrain and not easy pickings for the ‘‘normative international labelling system.’’ (p.107). One mistake made not just by tourists and some writers, but also by governments and international agencies, is to perceive this region as exempt from the processes of change that affect the rest of the world. A strength of this collection is that each chapter provides a sense of the continuing impact of change, development, and progress. Salam Al Mahadin and Peter Burns point out that ‘‘[i]n the case of the Arab world, the basis of the images and ideologies used and expressed, pre-perceptions, knowledge and pseudo-knowledge of countries and cultures, is formed prior to travelling, which in turn frames the tourists’ perceptions and prejudices during their stay’’ (p.137). Their interweaving of images of the near-pornographic exotic postcards of the 1920s and the promise of a 21st century Yemeni advertisement depicting ancient buildings with a veiled woman and hinting that ‘‘under a cool veil of mystery . . . a warm smile of welcome’’ may be found is disturbing and thought-provoking. The water-carriers who appear genial and picturesque in so many brochures are de-contextualized from the realities of urban deprivation and lack of infrastructural amenity. Aylim Orbasli juxtaposes the tourists’ search for authenticity in dilapidated buildings with the inhabitants’ expectation of modernization and urban renewal. He compares the situation to English purchasers of French farmhouses who satisfy their hunger for authenticity in the run-down and amenity-poor rural buildings and are viewed as aberrant by many French residents.
1104
PUBLICATIONS IN REVIEW
David Homa describes the potential for clashes of culture in contacts between Bedouin and tourists in the attempts to control ‘‘paradise’’ in Sinai and advises that while the they may believe that they are interfacing directly with authentic Bedouin lifestyles and behaviour patterns, in reality ‘‘over 90 to 95% of all businesses in the Sinai that visitors come into contact with are owned and run by Egyptians from Egypt proper’’ (p.245). Moreover, the ‘‘Bedouin’’ bracelets sold by the girls clustering around the tourists are probably ‘‘brought to Sinai by young Israelis vacationing in the Sinai who in turn had first brought similar bracelets back from South America’’ (p.245). Salam al Mahadin’s chapter brings questions of power back to center stage and shows how the privileging of certain apparently innocuous discourse in marketing the special opportunities of Jordanian tourism, in practice, serves the purposes of state-directed nationalism by creating links between culture and entertainment that tend to camouflage oppression and power relations. Every chapter provides evidence that this collection does what the title promises. It does indeed reconceptualize tourism in the Middle East and it will doubtless become required reading for students and scholars of this fascinating and littleunderstood region. David Weir: CERAM Sophia Antipolis, Sophia Antipolis, France 06902. Email
REFERENCES Said, E. 1979 Orientalism. London: Routledge. Fuchs, R. 1998 The Palestinian-Arab House and the Islamic ‘‘primitive hut’’. Muqarnas 15:157–177.
Assigned 12 December 2006. Submitted 7 May 2007. Resubmitted 14 May 2007. Accepted 14 May 2007 doi:10.1016/j.annals.2007.05.009 Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 1104–1106, 2007 Printed in Great Britain
De la Fonda a l’Hotel: La ge`nesi de una economia turı´stica Joan Carles Cirer. Edicions Documenta Balears (pas d’en Quint, 5 entreso`l-3, 07001 Palma, Spain) 2004, 260 pp (illustrations, tables, bibliography, index) €18.00 Pbk. ISBN 84-96376-07-9 Javier Caletrı´o Lancaster University, UK One of the paradoxes of tourism studies is the lack of attention paid to the Mediterranean. The region is the world’s most popular destination and yet very little is