SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OF TOURISM SEASONALITY: EVIDENCE FROM ARID HERITAGE DESTINATIONS

Abstract

This paper provides a systematic analysis of the social, economic and ecological consequences of tourism seasonality. The analysis identifies how seasonal concentration generates employment instability and cultural commodification at the social level, capacity utilization inefficiencies and external vulnerability at the economic level, and concentrated environmental loading on heritage sites and water resources at the ecological level. The three dimensions are shown to be mutually reinforcing rather than independent, requiring integrated management approaches that move beyond narrow marketing-oriented interventions toward coordinated policy responses spanning labor markets, infrastructure investment, environmental protection, and community engagement.