As the tourism industry continues to grow and the desire to visit heritage sites becomes a popular pursuit, heritage has turn into a commodity in the marketplace. This dissertation analyzes the economic, sociocultural and environmental implications of tourism in Gadara, northwest Jordan. It also elaborates on the changing force of tourism and its ability to transform host societies through altering their tangible and intangible heritage. On the one hand, this dissertation provides an understanding of how Gadarenes view visitors, heritage, and tourism and its impacts. On the other hand, it highlights what factors might explain the residents' perceptions and how much consensus there is in the community, thereby helping all stakeholders to address residents' concerns and to implement appropriate actions for tourism development. Finally, this dissertation examines the heritage interpretation and the portrayal of Gadara in tourism in an attempt to make the most of Gadara's Heritage. The findings of this research reveal that local culture and the natural and built environment of Gadara were not resilient enough to absorb the changes brought about by tourism development. Economically, tourism in Gadara did not contribute significantly to improving the local economy and standard of living. Results indicate that Gadarenes' perceptions, whether negative or positive, are basically homogeneous about visitors, heritage, and tourism and its sociocultural, economic, and environmental consequences. Furthermore, it reveals that interpretation is a powerful and effective key element in Gadara's heritage promotion. Although proper interpretation aids understanding the value of heritage and increase cultural exchange, poorly managed interpretation leads to heritage manipulation to suit the political and economic agendas. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]