The negative sociocultural impacts of tourism on Bedouin communities of Petra, Jordan.

Tourism impacts on destinations have been widely researched; however, few studies have investigated the sociocultural impacts of tourism on local communities in Jordan. The aim of this paper is to explore the negative impacts of tourism development on the local culture of Bedouins of Petra in Jordan. The paper employed qualitative semi-structured in-depth interviews with (18) Bedouin employees in the tourism services in the region of Petra. The authors adopted the Social Exchange Theory (SET) to explain the behaviour and attitudes of Bedouins towards tourism development in Petra. The study showed that the Bedouins of Petra had witnessed significant negative impacts in terms of negative sociocultural changes; school dropouts and child labour; and alteration of sociocultural values. To interrogate some of the fundamental consequences of tourism development for the Bedouins, the researchers emphasise that strategic plans are needed to facilitate the sustainable development of tourism for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]