THE POTENTIAL OF ECOTOURISM IN SIWA OASIS; OPPORTUNITIES AND HURDLES Ashraf Alhaddad *1 , Hoda Lotaief 2 and Osama Ibrahim 3 1. Director of Environmental Public Awareness- M inistry of Environment, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Egypt. 2. Prof. of Business Administration, Tourism studies Department, Dean of the Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Egypt. 3. Assistant Prof. in Tourism Guidance, Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Egypt. Abstract Egypt is endowed with a natural heritage as rich as its cultural heritage. The country‟s future is dependent on the wise and sustainable use of its natural resources. Ecotourism is in the core of the tourism development strategy in Egypt and there is considerable effort to promote such type of tourism. Ecotourism is one of the most rapidly expanding forms of tourism, with an estimated growth rate of one of the largest industries in the world. Siwa Oasis is foreseen to be one of the major destination for ecotourism not only in Egypt but also worldwide and it is the most mysterious of all of Egypt's Oases; its history has been formed by many civilizations Despite the Siwa Oasis destination contains much potentials for ecotourism, the major natural siwa protected area and also its very rich in cultural and natural assets which could create various amazing activities for ecotourists, ecotourism programmes were designed by tour Operators are minimal and it does not occupy a significant position on the touristic map of Egypt. This paper is an attempt to highlight the major potentials in Siwa Oasis as well as the opportunities and hurdles that preclude its development. And also it analyzes the factors that lead to the declining of the tourism industry in the oasis and proposes a vision for developing the oasis to be one of the major destinations of ecotourism in Egypt as well as worldwide. Keywords: Ecotourism, protectorates, potentials, tourism development , cultural and natural heritage, Siwa Oasis, Egypt. Introduction Ecotourism is a form of tourism that involves visiting natural areas in the remote wilderness or urban environments in a responsible travel manner that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. It is a growing source of revenue for the long-term management and care of more than 33,000 protected areas worldwide. It is not just about driving more tourists to these locations, it is about ensuring that visitors travel responsibly, help protect the wildlife they are visiting and contribute to the well-being of local communities (Conservation International, 2011). Siwa is a promising area that has all potentials to be a famous ecotourism area in Egypt. The government declared a major protected area in it. Now, this protectorate area offers a good opportunity to support ecotourism development in Siwa Oasis destination. Although the uniqueness of Siwa, as it is its rich cultural and natural heritage resources and interesting history, it does not occupy a significant position on the touristic map of Egypt. Siwa Oasis has suffered from a continuous neglect from the government over the past decades, along with a tiny publicity effort exerted for promoting to its potentials which leads to a severe shortage in its tourism facilities and services. This paper principally attempts to highlight the major potentials in the Siwa Oasis as well as the constraints that hinder its progress to occupy a distinguishable position on the Ecotourism map of Egypt. The paper consists of five parts; part one is an introduction, the aim, the problem, literature review and the methodology of the thesis; Part two displays the results and discussions of the thesis containing Characteristic of Siwa Oasis, its location, climate and history importance; Part