The Unfenced Desert Towards a strategy for eco ... - Nwrc.gov.sa

accommodation. During vacations tourists most commonly have access to a vehicle,
often a private car, but also taxis and rental cars, giving them reasonable mobility to
pursue a variety of activities, many of them outdoor such as viewing animals, sight-seeing
and hunting. There is a high level of interest in day visits to scenic sights, and guided
tours, particularly to see wild animals, suggesting good potential for interest in visiting
wildlife protected areas. Any such areas should provide toilets, campsites, guides and a
children’s play area, also a restaurant, driving trails and wildlife displays, but not hotel or
villa accommodation.
Conclusions
By combining the key findings of both the student and the tourist questionnaires, it is
possibly to sketch out the features of a hypothetical protected area tourist attraction.
The protected area will:
• be within driving distance of an existing tourist center, particularly mountain
or coastal holiday areas;
• target youth and families primarily;
• be close to 4 and 5-start hotel , and apartment and villa accommodation;
• provide suitable conditions for day visits during summer;
• contain: toilets, campsites (for day visits), guides, a playground area, guided
tours and interpreted wildlife displays, a restaurant, and both driving and
walking trails;
• feature ungulates, e.g. Arabian oryx and gazelles, and if possible carnivores,
e.g. leopard, fox, wolf, or hyena;
• provide focussed environmental public awareness materials and
programmes, and aim to facilitate schools visits and projects.
In the next chapter I examine the potential suitability of sites within the current
NCWCD protected area network.
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