Sustainable urbanism and cultural tourism, the case of the Sphinx Avenue, Luxor

Abstract

Cultural tourism is a growing type of tourism; tourists visit places where they can practice activities, motivating them to experience the heritage and get involved with the local communities. This paper studies the relationship between the sustainable urban development of heritage sites and cultural tourism. It focuses on the ancient Thebes world heritage site, examines urban sustainability at the city level, then studies the urban context of the newly reopened Sphinx Avenue. The analytical framework of this study emerges from the principles of sustainable urbanism together with UNESCO thematic indicators for culture for 2030 and UNESCO recommendations for urban culture future. Three site visits were held to the city and the avenue in 2022 for urban observation. A questionnaire was distributed among inhabitants and visitors to collect qualitative information concerning the accessibility and visibility of the monuments and the position of Sphinx Avenue in the urban context. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were conducted with tourism companies to explore the tourism sector’s point of view. The paper questions the relationship between sustainable urban development and cultural tourism. It suggests urban recommendations to achieve a rich user experience and build a sustainable relationship between the heritage sites and the surrounding communities.