Creative Economy: A Feasible Development Option

1Concept and context of the creative economyChinese within five years, and many will join the ranks ofinternational tourism. The wealthy middle class in India isequally mobile, regarding travel as a source of education andrecreation, even as religious tourism and pilgrimage travel aremajor sources of activity. Discount airline travel in all partsof the world is now a reality and an additional factor in thecontinuous expansion of tourism in the next few years. Thispoints to a growing world market for creative industriesproducts.In recent years, however, there has been a shift in theBox 1.4Petra: A cultural tripapproach to cultural tourism. UNESCO is urging governmentsto better balance tourism with protection, fearful thatsome of the most beautiful and important cultural and naturalsites are being harmed by throngs of visitors.International organizations such as the United NationsWorld Tourism Organization and UNCTAD have beenactively promoting a shift in the attitude of governmentstowards the formulation of tourism policy, focusing on theconcept that tourism policy should be both culturally andenvironmentally friendly and benefit local people.A visit to Petra can be more than simply a tour of a dazzling archeological site. It may turn into a full dive into the 2,000-year-old culture of the ancientJordanian tribes and a trip to times when the region was an important junction for the trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia withEgypt, the Syrian Arab Republic, Greece and Rome.Though it was “rediscovered” by Western eyes in 1812, the grand debut of Petra on the global-tourism stage took place in 1985 when it was declareda UNESCO World Heritage site. The giant carved red mountains and vast mausoleums provide an awe-inspiring experience. The environment is enrichedby the presence of artisans from the town of Wadi Musa and a nearby Bedouin settlement who sell handicrafts and jewellery inspired by local tastes.Evening activities include a candlelight visit to the entrance of Petra, when old stories are told while tea is served beneath the moon. Alternatively, a gastronomyclass where tourists learn by cooking and then dining on local delicacies offers another inspiring cultural experience.Things could be rosier, though. The UNESCO report, Cultural Landscapes: the Challenges of Conservation, stated, in 2002, that in order to arrest the crumbling of thestone, ancient techniques would have to be reintroduced. Petra required the reconstruction of the entire ecosystem that existed when the city was built, comprisinga system of canals, terraced overhangs and cultivated gardens in an area close to Petra, the wadi Al Mataha. The most immediate threat to be addressed, however,was presented by the increasing flow of tourists, with all the potential pernicious consequences to the already fragile infrastructure and the local traditions.The Petra Regional Planning Council, a cross-sectoral entity chaired by the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and comprising governmental and nongovernmentalrepresentatives, was set up in 1995 by the Jordanian authorities, funded by 25 per cent of the revenues from the Petra entrance fee. In1997, a project executed by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and supported by a $44 million loan from the World Bank was taken forward. Under theproject, the need for physical upgrading and management capacities at the archeological sites was addressed and roads and urban infrastructures in theirvicinity were improved. In addition, services were provided to communities living next to the tourist attractions.The Jordan National Tourism Strategy 2004-2010 estimates that tourism receipts in the country will skyrocket from around $807 million in 2003 to $1,840million in 2010 and the number of tourism-supported jobs will more than double in the same period. Part of this increase has roots in festival and cultural events,photography and film productions. The importance of the latter led to the creation, in 2003, of the Royal Film Commission of Jordan, since it was recognized thatfilms can “produce a huge positive impact on the tourism industry by helping to position and market the country”. In the past, the stunning Jordanian natural landscapes,of which Petra is paramount, were the stage for a number of films, such as “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962) and “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989).Indeed, the touristic potential of Jordan is still to be explored. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the country received nearly3 billion visitors in 2005, representing a growth of 4.7 per cent over that of the previous year but no more than a 7.6 per cent market share in the MiddleEast. The forecasts are matched by those of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) issues paper, Jordan: Selected Issues and Statistical Appendix (IMFCountry Report No. 04/121, May 2004), which projects an average of 8 per cent annual growth in tourism in the whole of Jordan between 2007 and 2009.By Ana Carla Fonseca Reis, Garimpo de Solucoes, economia, cultura & desenvolvimiento.22 CREATIVE ECONOMY REPORT 2010