Tourism and Social Change: The Case of Israeli Ecotourists Visiting Jordan

This study evaluated the role of tourism as an agent of change between two countries that have been traditionally hostile to each other—Israel and Jordan. Fifty Jewish Israeli ecotourists who traveled to Jordan for the first time were asked to complete a structured questionnaire that measured attitudes toward Jordanian people, their political beliefs, and their institutions. Each tourist was asked to complete the questionnaire before leaving for Jordan and after returning home. A control group of Israeli ecotourists who did not go to Jordan was also asked to complete the questionnaire twice. The results showed that the tourist experience that the Israeli ecotourists encountered significantly altered their opinions and attitudes toward the Jordanian people and their institutions, in the positive direction. Overall, of 33 attitudinal statements, 15 (45.4%) show a positive change as a result of the tourist experience, while none of the attitudes changed in the negative direction