Educational visit to Umm Qais Archaeological Site in northern Jordan as part of the Tourism Products and Services course
In order to enhance and link the theoretical side with the practical side in the specialization, a site visit to Umm Qais archaeological site was undertaken on Saturday 16/12/2023 as part of the requirements of a course titled: Tourism Products and Services. The visit wasled by DrDarabasehthe instructor of this course.Prior to the visit, students were provided with background information on Umm Qais, its historical significance, and its role in Jordan's tourism sector. This preparatory phase aimed to ensure that students could actively engage with the site during the visit.
The students toured the site, where doctor Databsehgave them an explanation about the importance of tourism products in the sustainability of tourism and the empowerment of local communities, and they listened to a detailed explanation by Prof. Dr. AbdulkaderAbabneh, who was also accompanied by his students from the sustainable tourism course and the tourism and community course about the importance of the site in heritage and tourism.
Students enjoyed exploring the ruins of the site of um Qais, such as the Roman Theater, the Museum and the magnificent view overlooking the Golan and the Sea of Galilee. The students engaged in discussions with their professors to gain insight into the challenges and benefits of managing an archaeological site for tourism, where the students were briefed on initiatives to involve the local community in the existing tourism process at the site and to support and encourage local tourism products within small projects.
At the end of the tour the students' questions and inquiries were answered by the doctors supervising the trip (Dr. Fakhrieh and prof Abdelkader.
The visit provided students with a hands-on experience that complemented the theoretical aspects covered in the Tourism Products and Services course. It deepened their understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with tourism products and services, and the management of cultural heritage management as a whole.
This visit not only enriched the academic experience but also instilled a sense of responsibility among students towards preserving and promoting cultural heritage in the context of tourism.
Report on a fieldwork visit
Professor Dr. AbdelkaderAbabneh and the students of the Tourism and Local Community (Master’s) and Sustainable Tourism (Bachelor’s) courses visited the archaeological site of Umm Qais on 12/16/2023 in order to enhance and linkbetween the theoretical aspect to the practical aspect, where the students were informed of local community engagement initiatives and the tourism process based on the site and sustainability practices. The students toured the site and listened to a detailed explanation by Al-Ababneh about the significance of the site in terms of heritage and tourism. Some students participated in providing some information about the history and monuments of the site and at the end of the visit, the students’ questions and inquiries were answered.