A decision analysis of Jordan’s heritage tourism strategies in light of global development trends
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25145/j.pasos.2026.24.024Keywords:
heritage tourism, MCDA, sustainability, cultural preservation, JordanAbstract
This research operationalises Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to align Jordan’s heritage tourism with global paradigms. Using national audits, UNESCO benchmarks and critical tourism theory, we assess five strategic interventions across seven dimensions: economic viability, cultural conservation, ecological resilience, digital integration, accessibility, community agency and visitor experience. Results show trade-offs; no option achieves full dominance. Community-based models, especially experiential frameworks and polycentric governance, yield higher aggregate performance. These align with global trends favouring distributed, stakeholder-driven ecosystems emphasizing authenticity and equitable benefit but require supplementation. Expanding adaptive digital tools, ensuring environmental protection and adopting universal design are critical to inclusivity. MCDA proves valuable in describing priority conflicts, offering policymakers a transparent mechanism for consensus-based resource allocation. Translating strategic potential into durable results depends on institutional coordination, governance innovation and sustained infrastructure investment. These interdependent factors merit further empirical study to guide long-term planning and equitable development in heritage tourism.
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