Coastal Tourism in Saudi Arabia.An Exploratory Study of Half Moon Beach

Q3 Social Sciences

Tourism in Marine Environments Pub Date : 2021-01-01 DOI:10.3727/154427321x16270454534433

Farwa Alkhalaf, M. Orams

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Abstract

Half Moon Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Saudi Arabia and is located on the Persian Gulf. Empirical data regarding Saudi marine and coastal recreation and tourism is very limited. This study used a self-reply questionnaire to investigate beach visitors’ (n=280) characteristics, motivations and activities. Results revealed that visitors were predominantly Saudis (95%) from the Eastern Province who visited Half Moon Beach for the purpose of enjoying the beauty of nature, the sea and sand and to relax. Visitors (39%) were mostly satisfied with the overall experience but many (23%) expressed negative comments about their beach visits. They were dissatisfied with the low level of cleanliness of the beach and facilities, a lack of services and facilities and the limited number of sea and beach-related activities. Visitors mostly (79%) supported more development of more activities at the beach. Furthermore, visitors (47%) suggested that activities should carefully target families and children and provide options that engage the whole family. Many visitors (37%) suggested that females are an important segment and should be targeted with activities that respect their cultural and religious practices and give them more chances to enjoy the beach visits.

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沙特阿拉伯的沿海旅游。半月滩的探索性研究

半月海滩是沙特阿拉伯最受欢迎的海滩之一，位于波斯湾。关于沙特海洋和沿海娱乐和旅游的经验数据非常有限。本研究采用自答问卷调查海滩游客(n=280)的特征、动机和活动。结果显示，游客主要是来自东部省份的沙特人(95%)，他们来半月海滩的目的是享受大自然、大海和沙滩的美丽，放松身心。大多数游客(39%)对整体体验感到满意，但许多人(23%)对他们的海滩之旅表达了负面评论。他们对海滩和设施的清洁程度低、服务和设施缺乏以及与海洋和海滩有关的活动数量有限感到不满。大部分游客(79%)支持在海滩上开发更多的活动。此外，参观者(47%)建议，活动应谨慎地针对家庭和儿童，并提供全家人参与的选择。许多游客(37%)认为女性是一个重要的群体，应该针对女性开展尊重她们文化和宗教习俗的活动，让她们有更多机会享受海滩之旅。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Tourism in Marine Environments Social Sciences-Geography, Planning and Development

CiteScore

2.00

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Tourism in Marine Environments is an interdisciplinary journal dealing with a variety of management issues in marine settings. It is a scientific journal that draws upon the expertise of academics and practitioners from various disciplines related to the marine environment, including tourism, marine science, geography, social sciences, psychology, environmental studies, economics, marketing, and many more.