Assist. Professor Semir Khelil Ibrahim Shamto
Faculty of Tourist Sciences, University of Karbala
Tourism is one of the most important industries that contribute to strengthening the economy and providing job opportunities. It has long been associated with the description of (the smoke-free industry), which is a description that reflects the environmental and sustainable nature of this industry. Unlike traditional industries that leave negative impacts on the environment, tourism is sustainable since it does not produce harmful wastes that pollute the environment. In this context, creative tourism emerges as a new and innovative pattern that aims to develop the tourist experience and achieve greater sustainability.
Creative tourism is a new form of cultural tourism that is stimulated by various tourism activities, especially those that bring about changes in the productivity of tourism products in a sustainable manner (Khalil & Kozmal, 2020: 99). Creative tourism is the one that gives the tourist the opportunity to develop and develop his creative potential by participating in activities and events, educational courses, and gaining experiences, in the tourist’s destination, as it is a new relative concept. It aims to achieve greater interaction between the tourist and the tourist destinations he visits. This is done by providing unique and innovative experiences that allow tourists to interact with local culture, arts and folklore. This type of tourism gives visitors the opportunity to participate in workshops and creative activities, such as: traditional handicrafts, cooking workshops, and local art shows. These activities also allow tourists to interact with the local environment, learn about its details, and engage its residents in rough activities.
Factors of success and sustainability of creative tourism:
Over the decades, the tourism industry has witnessed remarkable developments, as it has evolved from a mere recreational activity to an industry that offers unique and cultural experiences to visitors. Creative tourism is one of the main directions that contribute to the renewal and development of this industry, and it combines cultural interaction, learning and entertainment. The success of creative tourism relies on interaction with local culture and arts, an opportunity to broaden tourists’ horizons and increase their understanding of the culture around them.
Learning is an essential part of the creative tourism experience. By offering educational courses and interactive workshops, tourists can discover new skills and develop their creativity. Not only is this beneficial for tourists, but it also contributes to promoting sustainable learning and knowledge transfer between different groups. On the other hand; Creative tourism contributes to the support and development of local communities. If tourists participate in local activities and events, this results in an additional flow of income to those communities, which in turn can support investment in developing local infrastructure and enhancing the quality of life for the local population.
The success of creative tourism depends on several factors, and perhaps one of them is the development of tourism infrastructure in the target areas, including the provision of suitable transportation, quality accommodation, and technological infrastructure. In addition, effective tourism promotion and marketing plays a crucial role in attracting visitors and introducing them to the available creative experiences.
Among the important aspects of achieving the sustainability of creative tourism are: Paying attention to environmental, social and economic factors. Initiatives must be available to maintain the ecological balance and conserve local resources. For example in this field; The use of sustainable materials can be encouraged in creative workshops and waste reduction. In addition; Creative tourism can be an important source for the development and income of local communities through the participation of tourists in local activities, thereby strengthening the local economy, and supporting local craftsmen and artists. In order to maintain the sustainability of creative tourism, there must be sustainable efforts to protect the environment and cultural legacies; This can be achieved by adopting sustainable tourism practices that maintain a balance between meeting the needs of tourists and protecting environmental resources.
In summary of the above; Creative tourism is an important development in the tourism industry that contributes to developing the capabilities of tourists, providing unique and distinctive experiences by focusing on sustainability, and maintaining a balance between economic, environmental and social factors. Creative tourism can play an important role in achieving sustainable development in local communities, and enhancing understanding of Different cultures by offering unique experiences, and promoting the participation of tourists in local creative activities.
The; Creative tourism provides visitors with an opportunity to learn and interact with the local culture and develop their creative abilities by balancing economic, social and environmental factors, which can contribute to achieving sustainable development that benefits tourists and local communities alike.
Elements of Creative Tourism:
It includes a group of factors and aspects that contribute to creating a unique and distinctive tourist experience. It is based on creative and cultural interaction. These elements aim to achieve a rich tourism experience that enhances communication between visitors and destinations, and contributes to developing their capabilities and broadening their horizons. Some of the key elements of creative tourism are:
Creative Activities: It includes a variety of activities that encourage participation and creative interaction, including: workshops to learn traditional crafts, local culinary arts, handicrafts, and artwork.
Cultural participation: It allows tourists to interact with the local culture and folklore by attending local events, visiting art and craft exhibitions, and sharing local celebrations and cultural experiences.
Learning and Training: Providing educational courses and workshops that allow tourists to develop new skills. These courses may include technical, industrial or even language skills.
Interaction with the local community: It gives tourists the opportunity to communicate with the people of the local area, which enhances their understanding of the culture and daily life in those communities.
Local Arts and Culture: Presenting local artistic events that reflect the cultural identity of the region, such as musical, theatrical and artistic performances.
Environmental and Social Sustainability: Focusing on sustainable tourism practices, protecting the environment, and supporting local communities by strengthening the local economy and preserving cultural heritage.
Innovation and innovation: Encouraging the development of new ideas and experiences for tourism, whether through designing unique events or providing innovative interactive experiences.
Direct Participation: Encouraging tourists to actively participate in the creative and design processes, such as making handicrafts or participating in the preparation of local foods.
The determinants of creative tourism and its sustainability:
In view of the technical development, and the development in the systems of production processes, with the increase in the population, and its reflection on their diverse and growing desires and needs; Keeping pace with the development and prosperity in society, and its connection with the renaissance in which man lives now with the acceleration and diversity of productivity. This led to a bad impact on the natural resources of the planet and its stock (Ibrahim and Al-Sheikh, 2012: 516).
This requires the existence of several factors affecting the development of this type of tourism, and ensuring its sustainability. Among these factors are the following:
Sustainable planning and development: There must be careful planning for the development of tourism infrastructure in a manner consistent with the principles of sustainability. Tourism destinations must also take into account their impacts on the environment and the local community, and strive to maintain a balance.
Cultural interaction: Encouraging tourists to interact with the local culture effectively by participating in local events, workshops and creative activities.
Balance between preserving culture and renewal: There must be a balance between preserving cultural heritage and encouraging renewal and creativity, and this is done by integrating traditional elements with new ideas.
Communication between local residents and visitors: An important factor in achieving creative tourism, and the process of communication between local groups and visitors must be encouraged, and positive communication between them, as well as interaction, and the exchange of experiences and knowledge.
Education and training: by providing education and training opportunities to the local population; To develop their skills in various fields, such as: handicrafts, cooking, and arts. Education is the basic, and even effective, element in completing the development process, which is the summary of the efforts made to improve the life of the individual and upgrade his potential and living conditions, and thus; Developing society and improving its aspects of life (Badah and Akroush, 2008: 260).
Innovation and continuous development: By encouraging innovation and innovation in providing new and unique tourism experiences, technology and creative ideas can be used to improve the experience of tourists.
Environmental and Social Sustainability: Adhere to the principles of environmental and social sustainability in all aspects of creative tourism, from using environmentally friendly materials to supporting local community projects.
Orientation and education: The sustainability of creative tourism can be achieved by guiding and educating visitors on sustainable practices, and the positive impact of their interaction with destinations.
Collaboration and Partnerships: Enhancing cooperation between the public, private and local sectors to promote the sustainable development of creative tourism.
Challenges of sustaining creative tourism:
There are several challenges facing creative tourism and its sustainability. These challenges must be dealt with to ensure the continued development of this type of tourism. Some of the challenges are:
Balance between sustainability and growth: Finding the appropriate balance between achieving economic growth by attracting tourists and ensuring environmental and social sustainability. There may be a tension between the need to increase revenues and preserve natural and cultural resources.
Preserving local culture: Creative tourism faces a challenge in preserving local culture and its legacies, and modern tourism experiences have negative effects on local culture. If not handled with care. It may cause increased pressure on local resources and infrastructure, and development must be organized in a way that achieves a balance between improving the experience of tourists, and protecting the environment and society. As well as providing a distinctive and attractive tourist experience for visitors without compromising the local culture or distorting the authentic image of the destination, while seeking to train the local population on how to interact with visitors in a way that enhances the tourist experience and achieves the sustainability of the cultural and environmental heritage.
Environmental impacts: These include preserving the natural environment and reducing the impact of tourism on it, for example; The increase in the number of tourists may cause environmental pollution and the degradation of natural resources.
Organization and planning: Creative tourism needs careful organization and planning of activities and events by organizing the scheduling of events so that they do not negatively affect the lives of the local population, while maintaining a real and attractive image of the tourist destination.
Information Technology: The use of technology and social media can be useful in promoting creative tourism, and ensuring that it does not negatively affect direct interaction with the local culture.
Directions for the development of creative tourism:
To develop creative tourism and benefit from it economically in a sustainable manner, several steps must be followed, including good planning, coordination and implementation of appropriate strategies that can contribute to the development of this type of tourism:
Analysis and evaluation: The possibility of developing creative tourism in the target area must first be assessed, based on the possession of the unique cultural heritage and the creative activities that deserve to be known. And to design a unique and distinct tourism experience that combines cultural interaction and creativity, such as: workshops, cultural events, and learning sessions.
Strategic planning: by developing a strategic plan that defines goals and a vision for the development of creative tourism, and working to identify events and activities that meet the desires and needs of tourists. Planning works to draw an estimated future picture of the movement of tourism activity in a specific destination, and at a specific time, by counting tourism resources in the country, achieving tourism development, and preparing and implementing a comprehensive program for the branches of tourism activity (Hormuz, 2006: 14).
Collaboration and Partnerships: Collaboration with the local community, the private sector, and government agencies; In order to help provide a comprehensive tourist experience, as well as to cooperate with local craftsmen and artists to provide activities.
Developing the skills of local residents: who will participate in providing activities to tourists, within educational courses for craftsmen and artists, while preserving culture and the environment, encouraging sustainable tourism practices including education and directing tourists to the principles of sustainable and cultural tourism, and how to interact with the local community and its culture in a way that contributes to Maintaining a balance between the tourism experience and respect for the environment and culture.
Directing investment: This includes improving infrastructure, developing facilities, and employing local expertise and competencies. In addition to providing continuous improvements to the creative tourism experience based on evaluation and feedback from the evaluation of tourists and listening to their opinions, and benefiting from them in the development and improvement of programs and activities.
Added value: Unique experiences can be created that add value to the visitor experience by offering local products that visitors can purchase or interacting with local artisans.
Technology and innovation: the use of technology and innovations to enhance the visitor experience, and may include smartphone applications to interact with the destination, or a virtual reality experience that enhances visitors’ understanding of the local culture.
Target marketing: by identifying the target audience, and developing targeted marketing strategies for groups that want to experience creative tourism. In addition to developing promotional plans that use social media, websites and events to reach the right audience.
Applying the concept of creative tourism in the holy cities in Iraq:
The concept of creative tourism can be applied in the holy cities of Iraq in a similar way, especially in the provinces of Karbala and Najaf. Because they possess a rich religious and cultural heritage, and a great spiritual value for Muslims, and this makes them pivotal destinations for visitors from inside and outside the country. There are some steps and ideas that can be implemented to implement creative tourism in the holy cities in Iraq, including:
Workshops and cultural events: Workshops can be organized for visitors to learn traditional crafts, such as: weaving, sewing and handicrafts, and organizing cultural events that display the religious and cultural heritage of the region, as well as highlighting local traditional arts and crafts through workshops, museums and shops that display and sell This works. Heritage represents people’s habits and traditions, and all the opinions and ideas they express, as well as the feelings that they pass on from generation to generation (An-Nahar, 2018: 401).
Artistic performances and events: Artistic performances that highlight religious and cultural heritage can be organized, such as theater performances, and events based on religious stories.
Religious and cultural festivals: Taking advantage of religious festivals and celebrations to provide unique tourism experiences, such as: visitors participating in religious rituals or local celebrations.
Educational experiences: By providing educational experiences that explain the details of local culture and history, including educational courses on language and heritage, as well as using technology such as mobile applications and multimedia to provide information and creative interactions for visitors.
These ideas can help transform the holy cities in Iraq into creative tourist destinations that offer visitors experiences that enhance their connection with the religious and cultural heritage of the region. These steps also provide economic and social benefits to local communities and enhance the sustainability of tourism in the holy city.
References:
Al-Nahar, Ammar Muhammad, (2018), “Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Mechanism for Understanding the 2003 UNESCO Convention for Achieving Sustainable Development,” Damascus University Journal, No. 136.
Badah, Ahmed Mohamed, and Akroush, Lubna Judeh, (2008), “The Degree of Application of the Community School Concept in Community Development in Jordan from School Principals’ Perspective,” Journal of Specific Educational Research, Mansoura University, Issue 12, July 2008.
Hormuz, Noureddine, (2006), “Tourism Planning and Tourism Development”, Tishreen University Journal for Studies and Scientific Research, Volume 28, Number 3.
Ibrahim, Abeer Ibrahim Abdel-Hamid, and Al-Sheikh, Karama Thabet Hassan, (2012), “A proposed educational unit to develop students’ creative skills in creating new artistic treatments from recycling raw materials and employing them in clothing accessories,” Journal of Qualitative Educational Research, Mansoura University, Issue 25.
Khalil, Noha Ibrahim, & Kozmal, Hany Atef, (2020), ” The Role of Heritage Hotels in the Development of Creative Cultural Tourism: The case study of Egypt”, Journal of Association of Arab Universities for Tourism and Hospitality (JAAUTH), Vol. 18, No. 3.
