Crowding standards at Petra Archaeological Park: a comparative study of McKercher's five types of heritage tourists

Tourists' tolerance for crowding at Petra Archaeological Park decreases significantly with the number of visitors, particularly among highly motivated heritage tourists such as purposeful and sightseeing types. This finding, derived from a comparative study using McKercher's typology of heritage tourists, provides normative standards to guide sustainable management of visitor numbers. The research employed visual methods and normative theory to assess crowding perceptions across different tourist groups, offering actionable insights for balancing tourism sustainability with visitor experience.

Alazaizeh, M. M., Hallo, J. C., Backman, S. J., Norman, W. C., & Vogel, M. A. (2015). Crowding standards at Petra Archaeological Park: a comparative study of McKercher’s five types of heritage tourists. Journal of Heritage Tourism, 11(4), 364–381. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743873x.2015.1113977