Introduction

For some people, the unknown is a thing waiting to be explored. For me Jordan is unknown territory. Jordan hosts many touristic sites, ranging from the desert of Wadi Rum to the ancient city of Petra.

Together with a group of students from the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen I will travel through Jordan. We will meet experts in the field of tourism, and we will travel to touristic sites like the Amman Citadel, the ruins of the city of Jerash, the town of Madaba, and much more. 

Throughout my journey, I will also evaluate my own role as a tourist/student of tourism. In my opinion, Dr. Porter, the head of the American Center for Oriental Research (ACOR), made a valid point when she asked whether we would have come to Jordan if it were not for the Summer School. I will look at sociocultural aspects of tourism, and hope to reflect upon my identity of being a tourist/student of tourism.

By ' looking at tourism' I mean using critical social theories to explain touristic performances. In particular, I want to look at encounters between tourists and locals. Tourists and locals can meet in official and unofficial encounters.[1] Official encounters are encounters where a service is provided, for example the interaction in a taxi. Unofficial encounters can e.g. arise when tourists and local engage in conversations on the street.

Tourists visiting Jordan tend to be wealthier than most of the local population. This gives the tourist power over the locals from an economic point of view. Due to the dramatic decrease of the number of tourists visiting Jordan over the last few years, because of the instability in the region, this position of economical power increased. 

I will also look for signs of the so-called demonstration effect. In brief, this is the phenomenon that due to presence of tourists, the host culture can begin to take over aspects of the tourists' culture.[1] I hope you stay with me on my journey through Jordan.

[1] Stephen Williams, Tourism Geography - a new synthesis, 2nd edition, Routledge, 2009