צרכים וביקושים של מבקרים מהחברה הערבית באגמון החולה

This study examines aspects of supply and demand for Israeli Arab visitors in the Agamon Hula Nature Park, including the characteristics, preferences,and expectations of these visitors. In recent years,there has been a shift from product to experience (exponomy), and from passive to active tourism. There has also been a notable increase in the demand for leisure spaces and outdoor recreation. The study points to significant changes in Arab society in Israel, which constitutes over 20% of the population and is a significant component of domestic tourism in general, and tourism in nature sites and KKL-JNF forests in particular. Nevertheless, no research has been conducted on the tourism trends and the visitation patterns in natural sites in Arab society. The study was carried out for the KKL-JNF northern region. Its aim was to analyze the behavior of Arab-Israeli visitors to the Agamon Hula Nature Park and, on this basis, to generate practical recommendations for the management and development of the Agamon Hula. This qualitative study was conducted through interviews and observations between April and July 2022. The study found that Arab society is not a focal target audience at present. This means that, in many ways, the visit to the site is not geared toward this target audience, which impacts their behavior when visiting the site. In addition, the study raises various issues regarding visitor management at the Agamon Hula Park that are not related to one target audience or another but rather to the manner in which the site, the visitors, and the visit experience are managed. The study reaches several conclusions regarding the management of the site and its relationship with Arab society in Israel, as well as suggesting practical recommendations. The study also sheds light on an important facet of Israel's tourism agenda in general: the fact that the needs, the preferences,and the desires of a group that constitutes over 20% of the Israeli population have not been studied and remain unknown. This is a problematic situation, whose negative impact is evident in the environmental field, in economic potential, and in the effect of this lack of information on social and cultural outcomes.