draftplanTony3

                                                   Section Three

                                                  Recommendations

3.0 Management Responsibility

3.01 Overall management of tourism

The key to long-term, effective visitor management in Rum is to ensure there is a competent, single management agency on site responsible for all aspects of tourism and site protection

This agency should be operationally independent but working to strategies and policies agreed and formally approved by the ARA and MOTA and RTC and Diseh. The mechanism to ensure this is achieved would be a strengthened steering group consisting of representatives from all three organisations, combined with a performance review system by which the management agency's competence could be fairly monitored and assessed.

Such a management structure would ensure there is no confusion or misunderstanding by any operators working in Rum as to who has decision making authority on site, thus avoiding giving incentives to local communities, tour operators and other vested interests to employ "divide and rule tactics".

At present, the role of site management agency has been delegated to the RSCN through the 2nd Tourism Project in recognition of its track record and experience in protected area management, including tourism and socio-economic programmes. However, at the operational level there is confusion over the extent of its on-site responsibilities and its role in relation to the ARA and MOTA. There is an urgent need to eliminate this confusion and clarify and reinforce the role of RSCN. Agreed, but with approval of indigenous people – see SI letter.

A suggested management structure for the protected area is given in Annex 1.

Principal recommendations

Reinforce the role of RSCN as the site management agency, giving it clear delegation to take responsibility for site management under an approved management structure.

3.011Tour operators and service providers

Local people are the main beneficiaries of tourism in Rum and this should continue to be the case, not only as a matter of principal but to ensure their involvement and cooperation in the future, without which the site would be impossible to mange.

At present the RTC sees itself as the principal tourism management agency on site and it is highly protective of its current monopoly. However, with the establishment of the protected area and the need to integrate tourism with site conservation, the RTC will not have the capacity or the authority to realize its perceived role. Instead, the RTC should be accepted as one of the key service providers and its capacity developed to carry out this role effectively. (Detailed suggestions for achieving this are given in the RTC Institutional Review, RSCN, 1999). Can we have a copy please.The Diseh Cooperative, likewise, should be acknowledged as a local service provider and its operation dove-tailed with that of the RTC. Discussions should be brokered between the two cooperatives with the aim of reaching an agreement to this effect. Correct.

To ensure that tourism revenue is more widely and fairly distributed, and available for investment in services and site protection, the pivotal position occupied by the Rest House Manager should be reassessed and moves made to build the same level of efficiency and professionalism into the local service providers. His role as "clearing house" for external tour companies should be gradually adopted by the tourism officer and staff employed with the core management team. This will help to ensure that revenues are more equably disbursed in line with project objectives.

The emphasis on building local capacity does not deny an important future role for the private sector. Investors should have the opportunity to become more involved in providing tourism services on-site but this should not be contemplated before a management system for the whole area has been developed and the revenue distribution mechanisms finalized and agreed.

As there are now several operators running tours inside the protected area - local cooperatives and externally based companies - their activities will need to be centrally coordinated to make sure they conform to zoning schemes and other site protection measures. This role should also be undertaken by the core team Tourism Manager.

Principal recommendations

Build the capacity of the RTC (and Diseh Cooperative) to become principal service providers

Orchestrate an agreement between the RTC and Diseh Cooperative for sharing the tourism operation

Reduce the dependency on the Manager of the Rest House by strengthening local providers and through the transfer of the "middle manager" role to the core team Tourism Manager.

Coordinate and regulate the activities of all tour operators and service providers through the core team Tourism Manager.

3.02 Controlling access

3.021Before construction of the visitor centre

Multiple access points inhibit the effective control of visitor numbers and
distribution. Prior to the construction of the visitor centre, it is proposed to reduce the six (don't you mean 106?) existing access points to three:

the main access to Rum Village (point 1, map 6);
access via Diseh Village (point 2 , map 6) and
the southern access to Aqaba (point 3, map 6).

Retaining the Diseh access will give time for agreement to be reached between the Diseh Cooperative and the RTC over their activities in the protected area. In the current hostile climate between the two organisations, any attempt to block the Diseh access will be seen as favouring the RTC and there will lead to unpleasant reprisals.

The southern access provides the only through route in the protected area. Not true – there are a couple of excellent though routes to SE, to Abu Suwanna and to Mudawarrah (old Hejaz railway - Lawrence site). and is becoming popular with 4x4 users travelling to and from Aqaba. Trying to prevent access from here will force them to back - track for a lengthy detour and they will undoubtedly be tempted to "break into" the protected area elsewhere. Use of this access point is likely to remain relatively low, since it appeals mainly to special interest groups, and to maintain its low-key status it should not be promoted as an official entry point but only as an outlet to Aqaba. Likewise the routes above to SE. And it is essential to keep routes open to the popular Wadi Saabit climbing and trekking and horse / camel safari areas (SW, S and SE) including J Adaami, Jordan's highest mountain and others, all accessed from Rum village regularly, and a good 'earner' for the local people.

Closing the other three access points will require consultation and negotiation with the local people and provision made for any traditional (non-tourism) uses. Bedouin (from in and out of Rum) traditionally use ALL the above areas and MUST NOT be stopped from doing so – see SI letter.   Closure itself will be better achieved by means of patrolling rangers rather than by physical barriers. In the open, desert terrain of Rum, physical barriers will look unsightly and give the wrong image for a modern protected area. Correct!

At the "legitimate" access points, inspection facilities will need to be established so that all vehicles can be registered and entrance tickets purchased or checked. It is also proposed to give these authorized vehicles a coloured identity disc to attach to a prominent place on the vehicle so that patrolling rangers can easily distinguish them from vehicles entering without authorization. Similar coloured discs could also be used to identify the vehicles of Bedouin inhabitants. Unlikely that this is possible for those coming in from the south (even from Saudi.)

External tour operators should receive prior warning of the impending closure of access points and introduction of new procedures to ensure their full cooperation and compliance, and general media coverage should be generated for the benefit of the visiting public.

3.022 After construction of the visitor centre

The new visitor centre will provide the main gateway to the site, shifting it from the current focal point in Rum Village to a site 7 kilometers north. (Map 5). Visitor distribution, including all vehicle movements, will be controlled from this complex. There MUST be allowance for the climbing trekking community who camp in Rum and make ALL arrangements in Rum. To do otherwise is IMPOSSIBLE - YOU WILL KILL IT! And don't forget mountain tourism is20% of world tourism! When the centre is completed, the Diseh access should be closed and Diseh traffic directed to the protected area through this one gateway. The southern access should remain open and a simple "toll booth" constructed to facilitate traffic control.

Visitors arriving at the new gateway by coaches and cars will go directly to the
car park, via the new loop road, where they will proceed to the main entrance bordering the visitor centre plaza. All entrance fees will be collected at this entrance where there will be several booths to allow the rapid processing of large groups of tourists. Once visitors have paid at the booths, they will enter the visitor centre plaza and be able to find out about the range of activities available and choose the options they prefer.

Principal Recommendations

Prior to completion of the visitor centre, reduce access points from 6 to 3: Rum Village, Diseh and southern boundary.
After completion of the centre, move the control of all vehicles to the centre itself and close the Diseh access..

3.03 Controlling distribution

Zoning is a simple, well recognised tool for determining the distribution of visitor pressure in protected areas. It involves the division of the protected area into sectors, each of which is allocated a different use level according to its relative sensitivity to human disturbance. Areas supporting endangered plant and animal populations, for example, or fragile archaeological sites, may be designated "restricted" or "wilderness" zones, where the permitted level of human use and infrastructure is minimal. Please discuss your intentions. More resilient areas might be designated as "intensive" or "semi-intensive" zones, where higher use levels are possible without causing undue environmental impact.

Zoning in a 'new' site, with little tourism activity, is relatively easy to apply but in sites like Rum, with a long history of tourism use, any initial zoning plan must take into account traditional or accepted use patterns: firstly because this use is notoriously difficult to change rapidly without creating serious conflict; This seems another insidious aside implying that Bedouin traditions will be curtailed. and, secondly, because local communities, tour operators and other stakeholders who have shaped the established use patterns, and have built businesses or procedures around them, need time to accommodate changes. Please discuss.

Furthermore, defining the relative sensitivity of different areas requires detailed survey information and evaluation, which was not available at the time of writing. For the purposes of this interim visitor management plan, the RSCN research and survey team made a rapid appraisal of the protected area and discovered that all parts of the site are affected by tourism pressure. Indeed, the most valuable areas ecologically were found just outside the protected area boundary. Which is what we said years ago – the problem now is that these areas are being destroyed because of the 'special regulations' keeping tour operators out of Rum (which has been used to tourists for years, whereas these areas were only used by Bedouin, and a few climbers, trekkers etc). With these discoveries in mind, and the need to acknowledge (in the short term) the current visitor use patterns, a preliminary zoning scheme was devised which reflects existing user preferences and the potential for areas to have their ecological value restored, rather than conserved. This plan is shown as Map 7.

The preliminary zoning scheme breaks down the area into three categories of use levels with the following characteristics and proposed restrictions :

Wilderness zone,

Within this zone are those parts of the protected area which are leas visited and have the best potential for restoration of their ecological value at this stage in the development of the management plan.

Permitted activities

hiking : suggested limit of 50 people per day for all specified trails. Bedouin wilderness guides DON'T USE 'specified trails' – that's what's good about their treks! You will destroy all the adventure if you are not careful – and then lose the tourism.
camel treks : suggested limit of 2 treks a day on specified trails
horse back treks: suggested limit of 2 treks a day on specified trails
through-tours by vehicles or camels to the southern access point one specified route only : no initial number limit. What about those going south to climb, trek in Wadi Saabit etc – see above.
Climbing! Lots of climbing areas in 'Wilderness' zones. They absolutely should not be stopped without very good reason – see BMC letter and our previous recommendations to assess climbing impact over 5 years. Numbers are small.
             The specified trails need to be identified and daily use limits applied for
   each trail.

Restricted activities

no vehicle tours : management and Bedouin vehicles only.
no climbing. This is impossible! Abu Khsheibah is a very nice climbing area. I defy anyone to show me climbing damage in that area! See above comments!!!
no camping. How can you hike (trek) if you don't camp at the end of each day – and I mean camp where you stop, not drive to an 'official camp' then drive back again in the morning. Terrible idea! Defeats the whole object of the walk!
no infrastructure development or visitor facilities
no special events

Semi-intensive use zone

This zone provides a transition between minimal use (the wilderness   zone) and intensive use, with a moderate level of tourist activity permitted   and more facilities than in the wilderness zone.

Permitted activities

hiking : suggested limit of 200 per day for all specified trails. See above comments on Bedouin walks which are their personal trails.
camel treks: Suggested limit of 4 treks per day on specified trails
horseback treks: suggested limit of 4 treks per day on specified trails
vehicle tours: suggested limit of 10 tours per day on specified trails
camping: simple camping (no permanent infrastructure) at specified sites. See above comments. Maximum group size of 30 at any one site
climbing: areas and numbers to be defined – by who? You should involve or take advice from BMC / UIAA

Restricted activities

no large campsites
no further development of infrastructure and facilities
no special events

Intensive use zone

This zone received the majority of visitors and contains most of the "top ten" visitor sites, as well as Rum Village and the Rest House. It is also the most environmentally degraded. It does, however, represent the current   "income-generating heart" of the protected area, and the suggestion to maintain the status quo at this stage is a deliberate strategy to enable changes to be introduced gradually with the full acceptance of local stakeholders and without penalizing their business interests.

Permitted activities

vehicle tours : no initial limit on number per day but limits on routes and spacing (see vehicle management).
camping: in established campsites. See above comments. Climbers & trekkers need to camp where their chosen route for the day is, otherwise it may be impossible. Don't destroy Rum's hard earned reputation as one of the world's best desert climbing areas!
camel treks : no limits
horseback treks: no limits
climbing: limits and areas to be defined. Why? And by who? See above.
hiking: no limits
special events: requests to be evaluated as they arise (except for rallying and micro-light aircraft)

Restricted activities

no further development of infrastructure and facilities outside Rum Village (see regulations and enforcement) except camping sites

Principal recommendation

Introduce initial zoning scheme, comprising three use categories : intensive use zone, semi-intensive use zone and wilderness zone.

3.031 Rationalising the vehicle track network

Most tourists are transported around the protected area in vehicles and the resulting proliferation of tracks is the main cause of environmental damage. It is therefore essential to substantially reduce the number of tracks being used and created. This can be achieved by rationalising the network so that only one main route system is permitted. Such a system needs to achieve not only the required environmental benefits but should maintain or improve the quality of visitor's experience and have the flexibility to be changed when the need arises, How do climbers & trekkers get to their routes as they may not be on a 'specified' vehicle route. TOO MANY REGULATIONS! RELAX, you are making problems where they don't exist!

The new route system should be created from the most frequently used existing tracks (since they usually represent the shortest distance between stopping points) in a series of "loop trails", linking all the key visitor attractions. The use of loop trails enables the development of loop-based tour packages which give considerable flexibility to accommodate visitor choice but will maintain tight control on vehicle movements. They also allow a one-way flow of vehicles to be imposed which reduces congestion and track widening caused by over- taking.

The recommended series of loop trails is illustrated on Maps 8,9,10 and 11. They are grouped into categories according to the time required to complete them. Each specific loop would form a standard tour package offered to visitors and, once committed, drivers and tour guides would not be permitted to alter the tour en-route. Combinations of loops would be possible but only by prior agreement. Cross cutting between loops and deviations from the tracks would not be permitted.

When the visitor centre is opened, the operation of all vehicle tours will move to the centre. This has been accommodated in the tour descriptions given with the illustrated maps. Rum village should be retained as a stopping point on the post-centre itineraries to support village based businesses. Climbers & trekkers MUST be able to hire and start / finish in Rum, where they are camped. To expect otherwise is nonsense!

Principal recommendation

Establish one main track network between all key visitor sites, arranged into a series of loop trails around which specific tourism packages can be constructed.

3.032 Upgrading the surface of vehicle tracks

If one main track system is to be established, the surface of the tracks within this system will need to be improved so that they do not become rutted by the vehicles using them; otherwise the vehicles will not stay on the network and its object will be defeated. Several options have been proposed for doing this, identified from the experiences of other desert parks throughout the world. They include surfacing with desert-coloured asphalt, with compressed gravel, with chemical agents which bind the sand, such as Dead Sea water; and with a tough wire mesh buried just below the surface. The other techniques involve smoothing out the sandy surface of the tracks with devices attached to modified vehicles. In Ras Mohammed National park in Egypt, for example, they use a large concrete sled pulled behind a standard tractor; in other parks, grading machines have been used like the ones employed in preparing normal roads. For Wadi Rum, these smoothing-out techniques appear to be the best options, firstly because most of the other options would be very expensive for the length of the track network in Rum, as well as being difficult to construct and maintain; and secondly they would not be appropriate for a "desert wilderness' protected area, where the aim is to keep it as natural looking as possible.
The smoothing option will require the purchase of a suitable vehicle and the employment of a full-time "track grader", since grading all the Rum network will
be a continuous year-round task. The mind boggles!

Principal recommendation

Use a modified tractor / road grader to smooth out the surface of the designated track network and employ a local person to operate the machine year-round.

3.04 Managing vehicles - before construction of the visitor centre

Managing vehicles is the most complex issue to be faced in Rum and it will be influenced considerably by the location and role of the proposed visitor centre.

Currently, the largest vehicle operator is the Rum Tourism Cooperative (RTC) which has 250 vehicles registered for desert tours, all operating out of Rum Village. When the visitor centre is completed, their focus of operation will move to the centre itself and the management of their fleet will guided by the new protected area administration. However, in the meantime, it is crucial to tackle the fundamental problems affecting the RTC operation, as they are severely affecting its efficiency and quality of service. It is therefore recommended that the following actions are implemented within one year of formal acceptance of this management plan:

introduce a vehicle registration scheme (see below)

persuade the RTC to impose a moratorium on the acquisition of new vehicles for their fleet and to enforce a quota system on the number of vehicles allowed for each member.

phase out all 2-wheel drive vehicles.

introduce safety and comfort standards for vehicles, including weight limits and passenger carrying capacities, together with an effective monitoring system (see Annex 2).

investigate sources of finance or a tourism revenue investment scheme which assists the RTC to replace defective vehicles and ensure that the RTC has a vehicle replacement policy and strategy.

enforce age and competence standards for drivers and conduct a driver training workshop

develop a monitoring system for the vehicle rotation system to ensure it is correctly and fairly operated, with enforcement provided by a permanent member of the RTC staff working closely with the protected area management team. What about climbing guides and other independents, who should not be in rota – see BMC letter?

investigate the feasibility of RTC having public liability insurance.

Introduce a compulsory "spacing time" of 10 minutes between vehicles leaving the vehicle compound (between groups of vehicles in convoy or individually hired vehicles), enforced by both RTC and protected area staff (see below for more details).

ensure that all drivers conform to the agreed loop trail system and stay only on the defined tracks. Impossible! What about those with special destinations? Burdah East Face? J Rum West Face? Far south of Rum? Etc Etc Etc.

prepare information materials, including a small brochure, about the tour options and packages available.

3.041 Vehicle registration scheme

Introducing a registration scheme for all vehicles departing for tours will have several advantages. It will:

provide a database of all vehicles and vehicle movements in the protected area, thereby generating vital information for shaping future management strategies and actions.

facilitate the monitoring and enforcement of vehicle rotation systems.

give the site management team direct access to operators and visitors and the opportunity improve working relationships, raise awareness and receive feed back.

reinforce the site management role of the RSCN and psychologically prepare the local community for the impending changes in management regimes.

The process of registration will require a well located office and the employment of at least two local clerks to supervise it. A good site for the office would be on the main road leading out of Rum Village, southwards, which is the route taken by most vehicles departing for desert tours.

Registration will also need to be conducted at the other significant vehicle access in Diseh Village, and possibly at the southern access from Aqaba.

A more detailed description of the proposed registration scheme, including a sample data sheet, is included in Annex 3.

3.042 Vehicle spacing

To avoid problems of dust and crowding on the desert tours, drivers should ensure that vehicles are spaced in both distance and time. This will mean departing from the start of the tour and from the stopping points en-route at spaced intervals (recommended 10 minutes -with groups in convoy treated like one vehicle) and allowing a comfortable distance between vehicles during travel (to be defined). The need for phased departures at stopping points is important because visitors spend variable amounts of time at these points and vehicles will tend to catch up with one another.

This spacing discipline should become standard practice for drivers and guides, as it is in many African national parks. In the Kenya game reserves for example, when a safari vehicle reaches a stopping point, the driver simply informs his passengers that he will be delaying their departure time for a few minutes to allow the preceding vehicle to leave, in order that they will see more and get more enjoyment from their trip. Drivers from all the operators in Rum will need to be trained in this discipline and the time required to maintain the spacing will need to be accounted for in the tour packages.

3.043 Other vehicle operators

Many of the management measures suggested above apply to all tour operators, not just the RTC, and notably, registration, safety standards, adherence to loop trails and vehicle spacing, liability insurance and driver competence standards. To ensure compliance, a consultation and coordination mechanism will need to be introduced, implemented through the site management team. Monitoring of compliance will also be essential and this could be achieved through the proposed registration procedure.

3.05   Managing vehicles - after the construction of the visitor centre

When the visitor centre is completed it will become the control hub for vehicle tours, replacing the current hub in Rum Village. All local operators will
have their vehicles stationed at the centre in one centrally controlled vehicle pool. N.B. See above comments on vehicles for climbers & trekkers. this must be attended to. A new rotation system will be devised, giving fair allocation to all registered vehicle owners. The two principal operators in the pool will be the RTC and the Diseh Cooperative, and daily tours will be divided between them according to a mutually acceptable agreement. External operators and private individuals bringing in 4-wheel drives will be required to pre-book their tours and will be granted "slots" in the daily tour programme according to preferred destinations, zoning regulations and level of demand. If, for example, they wish to undertake loop tours in the intensive use zone, they will simply be required to register on arrival, pay fees and enter the loop system at a convenient time, having acknowledged the required time and distance spacings. If, however, they are looking for longer tours in other zones, pre- booking will be essential and they will only be allocated slots if daily use limits have not been met. Indeed, pre-booking will be promoted and encouraged for all independent operators.

The vehicle pool at the visitor centre should, ideally, be located on the south side beyond the entrance gate (see Figure 3 ). Visitors arriving at the centre will then arrange their tour as follows: they will buy tickets for individual tour packages at the reception point, where information on all options will be available, after which they will be directed by guides and signs to a vehicle pick-up point on the western edge of the plaza by the access road to Rum Village. Staff at the reception office will notify the vehicle pool manager and only the exact number of required vehicles from the pool will proceed to the pick-up point. The visitors themselves, will have no choice over the vehicles they use in order to prevent any abuse of the rotation system. You are going to make climbing impossible!   it's a 'spur of the moment' activity - the climb is usually decided that day or the night before. Also, climbers often leave at 4 or 5 in the morning otherwise they will be stuck on the mountain at dark. They arrange with the driver to pick them up when the climb is completed and they are tired and thirsty. You cannot stop that. You will have people getting stuck at night, or suffering dehydration after their climb!

Where the access road enters the visitor centre, there will be a check point to prevent access by unauthorized vehicles. Vehicles belonging to residents of the protected area, and their visiting relatives and friends, will be issued with special passes so they can leave and enter without charge.

The basic sequence of events for visitors wishing to take a vehicle tour after arriving at the visitor centre can be summarised as follows: orientation at the visitor centre - consideration of options - selection of preferred tour - purchasing of tickets - proceeding to vehicle pick-up point - leaving for the desert.

Principal recommendations

Introduce vehicle registration scheme, safety and comfort standards, liability insurance and driver competence standards
Introduce independent monitoring of the RTC's vehicle rotation system
Introduce compulsory distance spacing between vehicles on tours
enforce drivers to stay on designated trails
When the visitor centre is completed, move vehicle pool to the south site of the complex and orchestrate management through the site management agency. All tours from the centre to be booked and paid for independently of drivers .
Provide special passes and identification for local vehicles not involved in tourism.

3.06   Managing other activities

3.061Before the completion of the visitor centre

The other main activities in Rum - camping, camel and horseback tours, hiking and climbing - are largely unmanaged at present. Climbing should NEVER be managed! In particular, there is little information available about these activities and visitors are largely unaware of them as potential options (or alternatives to vehicle tours). Just buy the guidebooks! Most of the information is given through the tourist police office which is tiny and cramped and intimidating for first time visitors.

There is a clear lack of a centralized information and booking point and this should be rectified by creating a temporary, well sign posted facility, either by erecting a portable building near the rest house or by "re-modelling" the space inside it.   A trained receptionist should be employed and simple information leaflets produced and a large, easily accessible map mounted on the wall showing hiking trails, campsites, climbing areas, etc. Good 1:50,000 maps should be provided for sale! There should also be information about the zoning scheme and all the new regulations relevant to tourist behaviour. Bookings for camping could also be undertaken here, reducing the virtual monopoly held by the manager of the rest house.

In addition to providing information, a registration scheme should be introduced for all hikers, riders and climbers staying overnight in the protected area to ensure that zoning scheme regulations are applied and in the interests of safety. Don't expect an itinerary – climbers decide each day what their plans are, depending on fitness etc. They must then be able to make arrangements in the village. The RTC should open a Guide's Office adjacent to The Bedouin Café, for climbers & trekkers.

3.062 After the completion of the visitor centre

There will be a purpose built reception and information point in the visitor centre close to the edge of the plaza ( Figure 3 )and this will be devoted to providing information and ensuring that the type and location of visitor activities conforms to the regulations and zoning plan. Its position at the gateway to the protected area will facilitate the control and coordination of all visitor activities.

Principal recommendations
Prior to construction of the visitor centre, create a temporary visitor information point with receptionist, giving information about all possible activities in Rum and the new regulations.
Introduce a registration scheme for a;; visitors staying overnight in the protected area.

3.07 Entrance fees and service charges

3.071Before construction of the visitor centre

All income from the current 1 JD entrance fee goes to the RTC and none to the management of the protected area or investment in better services. Many visitors and some tour operators avoid paying the fee and there is no checking for tickets.

In view of the relatively poor quality of facilities and services inside the protected area, it is difficult to justify an increase in the entrance fee in the short term and the RTC is highly unlikely to be prepared to forego part of the fee in the interests of site protection. Furthermore, the identity of Wadi Rum as a special area in need of protection is not yet reinforced through signs and information and cannot be used as justification for increasing the fee. There does, however, seem to be a case for introducing a small percentage levy on all vehicle tours, camping fees and food and drinks in order to start generating income for site management and service improvements.

The recommended course of action for bringing about changes in the revenue generation system prior to the construction of the visitor centre is as follows:

improve the standard and efficiency of services offered by internal operators as recommended in this plan, and especially vehicle tours and information provision.

maintain the exiting entrance fee but improve its collection by creating a well advertised toll point near the rest house car park.

introduce checking for entrance tickets when vehicle tours are booked.

erect temporary road signs announcing that Wadi Rum is a protected area and produce a small give-away leaflet about the conservation project.

encourage the RTC to invest a proportion of their 'surplus' income into vehicle improvements and better service provision.

introduce a 10% "conservation levy" on all vehicle tours, camping and food services.

one year after the approval of this visitor management plan, following noticeable changes in service quality, increase the entrance fee to 2JD.

invest half of the increased fee in a management fund for site protection and service provision, including support for the RTC to upgrade its operations.

3.072 After completion of the visitor centre

The facilities and services to be incorporated into the visitor centre and the improvements which will have been made to the site management by the time it is constructed will warrant a substantial increase in the entrance fee.
The interpretation media in the centre will also establish the identity of Wadi Rum as a world class protected area and emphasize the contribution that entrance fees make to its care and protection.

The entrance fee structure should be as simple as possible to make it easy to understand and administer. Visitors should also be required to pay the same entrance fee regardless of their destination or length of stay. This is their contribution to protecting a very special area in a country which does not have national resources to subsidise conservation.

Assuming the visitor centre will be completed in the year 2001, a tentative entrance fee structure is suggested below:

Jordanians and residents : 2 JD
Other nationalities: 6JD

The 10% 'conservation levy' on services as suggested earlier would remain.

Fees would be collected from the entrance booths at the visitor centre and held centrally by the site management agency for distribution to the two key recipients: the RTC and the Wadi Rum Management Fund.   The Fund would be established by the ARA and used to pay for the continuing management of the protected area, including the visitor centre which will be expensive to maintain. A proportion could also be used for ARA support costs.

It is strongly recommended that administration of the Fund is delegated to the site management agency (if different from the ARA), so that it can be executed with some measure of independence from the crippling bureaucracy which plagues most government institutions. Such a system could be set up to ensure that ARA maintains authority over the Fund and conducts regular audits of accounting systems and procedures.

The proportion of the entrance fees received by the key recipients requires further thought and discussion but an initial recommendation is shown in the table below.

Table 7 : Recommneded entrance fee distribution, post visitor centre
Entrance fee source Total amount Proportion to Management Fund Proportion to RTC
Jordanians, residents 2 JD 1.5JD 0.5JD
Other nationalities 6JD 4.5JD 1.5JD

For the RTC to receive this increase in revenue, it should be required to meet agreed conditions and standards for its services, to commit a proportion of its revenue to service improvements and to demonstrate a fair distribution of dividends between its members.

The suggestions for fee restructuring can only be considered as tentative at this stage because the protected area will need to have a business plan, once the operational costs are known (including the visitor centre) so that fees can be based on required income.

3.073 Other service costs

Fee rates for vehicle tours provided by internal operators have been fixed by the Ministry of Tourism and, until there have been significant improvements in services and site management, it is recommended that basic costs remain largely unchanged. There is, however, a need to have closer monitoring of the application of these fee rates at the vehicle pool / passenger pick-up points. It is well known that drivers and tourists negotiate over fees and, since fixed rate tours do not include all the well visited attractions, the fees actually charged can differ significantly from the official rates. To 'iron out' these problems and to prevent visitors being "ripped off" by unscrupulous drivers, the tour packages should be revised to include all the main visitor attractions (see rationalizing the track network) and fee rates adjusted accordingly. Driver/ visitor transactions should be minimised by establishing a ticket office where visitors purchase their tickets before proceeding to the vehicle pool and random checking of rates should be introduced by the site management agency to improve general monitoring.   All of these modifications should be done in full consultation with the RTC and once agreed, the revised schedule of tours and charges should be prominently displayed at the ticket office, Rest House and in the vehicle pool itself.

Prices for camel rides are usually negotiated directly with the camel owner or caretaker and they vary according to the distance and the visitor's prowess in bargaining. Once again there is a need to standardise the prices and give visitors a fair deal.

Camping prices are considered high. A visitor will pay around 50JD per night, including entrance fee, transport to the site and food and drinks. Most of this sum is accounted for by food and the camping fee (around 35JD). For this relatively high charge, the camping facilities and services should be improved.

Climbers & trekkers camp behind Rest House. That is all they need – water & toilets. The rest they do themselves, so small fee is adequate (currently 1 or 2JD I think). When camping wild, they need nothing, so no fee is applicable.

Principal recommendations

Maintain 1 JD entrance fee until services are improved and erect temporary fee collection booth near the Rest House to enforce collection.
Erect temporary signs announcing the designation of Rum as a protected area.
Introduce a 10% "conservation levy" on vehicle tours, camping and food services.
Increase entrance fees to 2JD one year from approval of this plan and invest half in site protection and service provision.
Create a Rum Management Fund for receiving site generated income, including entrance fees and conservation levy and use to support management costs..
Prepare a business plan for the protected area when the operational costs can be reasonably estimated.
Maintain basis of vehicle tour charges but revise tour packages, arrange for tour tickets to be purchased away from the vehicle pool and introduce checking of tickets.
Upgrade camping facilities and services.

3.08 Facilities and services

The visitor centre will bring significant improvements in the range and quality of facilities and services. The priority in the meantime is to upgrade the existing facilities and services and many aspects of this have been dealt with in other sections of this plan.

However, there are two aspects of service provision which have not been specifically addressed so far: overnight accommodation and tour guides.

3.081Overnight accommodation

Camping is the main form of overnight accommodation and statistics suggest that about 32 % of visitors camp out in Rum. Currently, all the camping services are provided through a partnership between the Rest House manger and the RTC and most people seem to be satisfied with the service. However, since camping represents the main form of available accommodation, there is a need to provide a wider range of standards, with some camps offering
better toilet facilities and a generally higher level of comfort and cleanliness.
This would be best achieved by constructing more 'permanent' sites like the Dana campsite, where effort is concentrated on providing "5-star" service. One such site is being established by a private developer at the border of the protected area, near Diseh. However, this will not be sufficient for the likely demand and the protected area as a whole could accommodate several such sites. These should retain their Bedouin character and should be sited in remote corners of the intensive use zone (visitors in general do not prefer to stay in the campsite behind the Rest House ).But climbers do – it's the absolute best place and must be retained. Many climbs can be reached on foot from here – how environmentally friendly do you want us to be!

Apart from camp sites, there is virtually no other form of accommodation in the protected area, although there are plans to encourage bed and breakfast in Rum Village. The consistent policy of the ARA and MOTA to resist private hotel developments must be applauded but for a site as large and impressive as Rum, with anticipated visitor levels of over 250,000 people, there will be demand for more alternatives to camping. This could be provided by a limited number of small guest houses, built from sympathetic materials and operated by local people, similar to the Dana Guest House. This Guest House has become the "cash cow" for the Dana reserve and contributes a significant proportion of the reserve's running costs. Similar ventures in Rum could bring the same benefits, if supervised and managed under the umbrella of the site management agency.

3.082 Tour guides

There are only a handful of well trained tour guides in Rum and these are usually contracted by external operators to guide tours or the operators themselves bring their own guides from outside. Also there are climbing guides who get clients on a day to day basis in Rum village. Usually they are excellent. The guiding services provided to the people who pick up their tours from the main vehicle pool (ie the majority) are minimal and poor. The RTC drivers, for example, who effectively act as guides, are not fluent in English and give very poor commentary on the journey; and since their passengers are usually separated from the driving compartment, they receive virtually no information for most of their trip. There is therefore a need to provide better guide services on site and to give drivers training in interpretation and speaking English (see influencing attitudes and visitors' experience).

Principal recommendations

Improve campsite standards and create more permanent sites with "5-star" service.
Investigate the feasibility of creating small guest houses as alternative overnight accommodation.
Improve the quality of tour guide services with the locally based operators

3.09 Visitor safety

Wadi Rum is a harsh environment, being very hot and very dry for most of the year. It is also very rugged and remote from large centres of population. Visitors entering the protected area are therefore at risk, especially those engaged in long tours, if they are not well equipped or run into difficulties. Climbers face particularly high risks and there have been a number of serious accidents in recent years. All mountain areas are risky. Rum is no different than anywhere else – the Dolomites for example.

While people engaged in high risk activities have an obligation to be well equipped and prepared, there is also an obligation on the protected area management agency to provide essential first-aid and rescue services. CORRECT! At present these are provided in emergencies by the army and police but they have not been formalized. And they are not good (i can quote from casualties and professional European guides and our own experience), The only good rescuers in Rum are the Bedouin – plus the helicopter pilots, of course. To improve the effectiveness of these services, a first-aid and rescue post should be set-up in Rum Village (or the visitor centre), manned 24 hours a day in the peak season (Not necessary – you need an 'on-call' system.) and supported with basic rescue equipment and medical supplies. It might be possible to establish this post in the army base in the old fort and arrange for trained service men (Terrible idea!) to provide the 24-hour coverage. You have had our recommendations on this subject for 15 years! We even offered free equipment and training – which was ignored. Finally with help of H. M. Queen Noor and MoT we managed to give three Rum Bedu some minimal training in UK. The offer of free equipment was never accepted. The equipment used in Rum is terrible. The outside help we have seen has been dangerous. A lot of work to do here!

The registration scheme for hikers and climbers recommended elsewhere in this plan would also assist rescue operations by providing details of their whereabouts, group size and activities. NOT TRUE! You need to get advice each day where people are going – they can't give you a 2 week plan when they arrive in Rum. I have mentioned this frequently before. All the climber / trekker needs to do is tell someone – a friend or other climber – or the Bedouin driver that he has personally chosen and who will have been recommended by other climbers. That's how it is done all over the world. There is no need for bureaucracy and control of climbers. There are no regulations in the climbing world – the BMC requests climbers to respect environmental procedures etc – and that's all that is required. – climbing is about freedom and personal initiative. Climbers know what to do and who to inform when they are going climbing. The system works. Don't alienate potential visitors to Rum. Further support will also be available from the new ranger team, who should have good communication links with the rescue post.

Vehicle tours are the other main safety issue in Rum and safety measures for these are dealt with in other sections of the report.

Principal recommendation

Establish a first-aid and rescue post in Rum Village, manned 24-hours a day in peak seasons.

3.10 Influencing attitudes and visitor experience

In any protected area, it is very important for visitors to understand why the area is considered special and in need of protection. Such awareness encourages a more positive and caring attitude towards the site, and is likely to make visitors more appreciative of the need for entrance fees and for regulations which control their behaviour. There are few visitors who would not be happy to know that entrance fees go directly to site protection.
Providing information about the protected area will also help visitors to understand what they are seeing and therefore to enjoy it more.

For these reasons on-site interpretation should be developed in Rum and materials produced which explain the origin and history of its landscape, its geology and wildlife, the local people, legendary figures like Lawrence of Arabia and also the measures being taken to protect the site. Much of this will be achieved in the new visitor centre which will have large "interpretation halls" but until the centre is completed, at least one leaflet should be produced telling the story of Wadi Rum and the attempts being made to protect it.

Awareness is also vital for local communities because they have not usually had an opportunity to view their homelands in a different context, being too preoccupied with trying to make a living from what is a very harsh environment.   For the same reason, they may also be quite unaware of the consequences of their activities on the environment, since their relation with the land developed long before landscape and species conservation became
a national necessity. NOT TRUE - read J. Hobbs – Bedouin of the Eastern Desert (Egypt) for good examples of Bedouin conservation etc – same practices are used in Rum.

To achieve heightened awareness in local communities requires a more targeted approach, applied through a special outreach programme for which a member of the site management team is responsible. This programme would arrange meetings and workshops, stimulate socio-economic projects and foster community involvement in aspects of protected area management. It would also develop materials and activities for local schools and other institutions.

Principal recommendations

Prior to completion of the visitor centre, prepare one simple leaflet explaining the nature and purpose of the protected area and the measures being taken to protect it.
Introduce an outreach programme for local communities

3.11 Capacity building

To manage tourism services effectively, the technical and managerial capacity of all the key players needs to be improved, namely the tourism cooperatives, the Tourism and Badia Police and the site management team.

The RTC, as the principal service provider to date, has been subject to an institutional review, which made recommendations for improving its ability to manage its operations (RSCN 1999).

For the other players, a training-needs analysis should be undertaken and an appropriate training programme implemented, under the aegis of the protected area management agency.

Principal recommendation

Undertake a training-needs analysis for all the key players involved in the management of tourism and implement the required training programme.

3.12 Regulations and enforcement

Wadi Rum was designated a Special Regulations Area because national laws do not make adequate provision for regulating most of the activities which are causing damage to its landscape and ecology. A set of draft regulations has been prepared by RSCN and is included in Annex 4. Can we have a copy please. These provide a legal framework for supporting effective visitor management, including crucial aspects such as access and distribution and vehicle management. They also deal with more general site protection measures such as controls on disturbing wildlife and damaging natural features.

Enforcement of these regulations will be achieved through a new team of protected area rangers, working in partnership with the tourist and Badia police and the local community. The main job of these rangers will be to patrol the area, monitoring and enforcing compliance with the regulations. It is proposed that they are empowered to apprehend violators, expel them from site and impose on-the-spot fines (see Annex 3). (is this a prison or a park?) The initial number of rangers suggested is ten but for this relatively small team to be effective in a large area like Rum they will need good vehicles and communication equipment.

The intention to involve local people in enforcement is not only to improve the level of enforcement, but to gain their support for the regulations so that they do not try to resist them. This is particularly important, since several of the regulations will affect the way in which local communities are able to live in the protected area and earn their livelihood. BAD NEWS! Another line of attack on eliminating Bedouin traditional life – no problem with that, but if it happens it should be at their choice, and in their own time, without pressure from others. If this working partnership is to succeed, local people will need to be convinced that the enforcement of regulations will not unduly disrupt their lives and can improve the financial benefits they receive from tourism.

Principal recommendations

Approve the regulations drafted in Annex ?
Create a ranger force empowered to implement the regulations.
Involve local communities in the enforcement of the regulations.

3.13 The role of local communities

Local communities inside the protected area have a vital role to play in tourism development and management, since it is largely through their initiatives that the present tourism services were developed. Correct! See T. Howard article for UN International Year of the Mountains "Mountain culture". The RTC and, to a much lesser extent, the Diseh Cooperative essentially provide all the current on-site services; and the income they generate is a major part of the local economy. (Rowe 1998). It is also patently clear that without their involvement and cooperation attempts restructure the tourism operation in the interests of site protection would be extremely difficult and contentious. Experience in protected areas throughout the world has shown that excluding local people is counterproductive in the long-term. CORRECT! See SI letters.

The creation of the protected area, however, does have major implications for local communities and the role and status of their self-generated tourism operations. Until now, local people have largely had a free-hand in terms of their activities but this will no longer be possible if further deterioration of the site is to be prevented. It will also be essential that site management is no longer seen from the perspective of individual interest-groups, but in terms of a single natural system, comprising lands of several tribal groups. In this context, management will need to be guided, not just by tourism interests and tribal relations, but by the conservation needs of the whole site. For these reasons, the protected area cannot be left solely in the hands of local communities but needs an independent management agency with the technical capacity, neutrality and national perspective needed to take a holistic approach. Not true. This is a typically arrogant presumption of people in the so-called 'developed world'. The best way is for the indigenous people to make their own arrangements and decisions with outside technical help of their choice, and to stay in total control. Success is thereby virtually guaranteed. There are many precedents around the world. Info available from Tourism Concern and SI (Survival International )

Another key issue for local communities, and a more pragmatic one, is the impact of the proposed visitor centre on the local economy. The centre will, for all intents and purposes, move the commercial heart of the protected area from Rum Village to the centre itself and, potentially, undermine many of the self-generated business initiatives pioneered in the village. It will be essential in the development of the centre and new management regimes to ensure that
any such losses are compensated for by new business opportunities in the centre itself. NB. See above notes on climbers & trekkers, who must retain Rest House campsite area (behind J Mayeen) and vehicle hire in village if these activities are to continue.

The key to shaping the management approach for the whole site is to create a genuine partnership between the local people and the site management agency; a partnership which ensures that local people are part of the decision-making process and continue to be prime beneficiaries of tourism. Correct. An attempt to create such a partnership is already underway in the form of the steering group created by RSCN. This group has elected representatives from the local tribes, matched by an equal number of RSCN staff, and it reviews, discusses and develops all key aspects of the development of the protected area and operates with complete transparency. The role of this group should be strengthened and developed and a concerted attempt made to broaden its representation by including presently excluded communities like Diseh. Sounds good on paper, but is the concept of local people being included in decision making really working? See Brand Report.

Principal recommendations

Develop the role of the on-site steering group as the principal mechanism for involving local people in tourism development and site management.
Enable local people to capitalize on the business opportunities created by the new visitor centre