AL SELA
JORDAN
2023
Contact
Alsela, Tafilah, Jordan |
The village is located on the path of migration of soaring birds. Al Sela village has unique natural and cultural features including scenic nature and the beautiful landscape of valleys, mountains and plateaus, as well as the presence of many perennial trees such as Romanian olives and distinctive and rare vegetation cover at the local level, which is an extension of the natural pattern of Wadi Feynan and the Dana Nature Reserve.
For Al Sela Village, tourism is considered the real engine for economic growth and a path to improve the local community’s income and achieve additional income from the tourism revenues of the site. Tourism enhanced the continuity and permanence of several agricultural projects and contributed to their prosperity and expansion. The links between the tourism and agricultural sectors in the village produced a unique and distinct interactive experience for visitors with the locals, creating a means of living away from the city and complex modern life focusing on landscapes and quiet rural life.
Al Sela village developed the general strategic framework for the tourism development of the village in 2018 to become an engine for economic development. Al Sela Village tourism development is based on a successful partnership between the local community, government authorities, and other organizations that are keen to produce the best planning and management approach to improve and develop the efficiency of the value chain, entrepreneurial business models for small and medium enterprises, and the integration of microenterprises through building technical capabilities and improving competitiveness within the village development process.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Restoration projects
Al Sela Village initiatives presented a successful model to motivate some of the local community who left their old houses and reused them as personal accommodation or to receive visitors. They also empowered the local community to manage local guesthouses. As a result of the partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities a restoration was carried out of 13 guestrooms, an activities hall, a heritage restaurant, a traditional artifacts Museum, and a display room for local products of the village managed by the local community under the umbrella of the local tourism association. Moreover, some locals restored and repurposed their homes for receiving visitors and to create experiences and new economic opportunities for the village and its development.
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A living museum
This initiative aims to preserve and highlight archaeology, biodiversity and traditional knowledge values and assets whilst providing visitors with an immersive and interactive experience. The activities on offer include authentic cultural experiences that display the local traditions, heritage, and way of life including cooking traditional meals, learning traditional crafts, or engaging in agricultural practices. This initiative aims to enhance the village network’s cultural richness and appeal as a tourism destination while engaging women’s organizations to showcase their skills and products. Moreover, this initiative creates employment opportunities for locals and encourages the growth of supporting industries such as hospitality, local food and handicraft production.
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Sustainable practices
The village promotes responsible tourism, conservation of natural resources, minimizing environmental impacts, and supporting eco-friendly initiatives. They launched initiatives to collect solid and plastic waste and recycle them. Furthermore, in cooperation with the Agriculture Directorate and specialized organizations, the village are working to preserve the flora and fauna of the area by establishing ponds for birds and to collect water and provide farmers with water channels to reduce water loss in open channels. In addition, to combat climate change, the villagers have implemented many initiatives such as the use of alternative energy, water collection, waste recycling, tree planting and practising organic farm and use local products.
