Tourism in Jordan has begun to recover, according to the director-general of the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB), Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat. JTB noted in a statement that the tourism sector has proven to be a key catalyst for many activities and businesses and a valuable source of hard currency. Hotel room reservations in Petra’s ancient city are expected to reach 100% between September and November this year, he said.
Jordan has a diverse climate, as well as an abundance of tourist and archaeological sites, including Petra, Jerash, Baptism Site, and Dead Sea, Arabiyat said at a media forum organized by the Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ). Jordan is a popular destination for religious travelers, especially considering that Christianity has its roots in the country. The Kingdom is home to key attractions, including the Baptism Site. Jordan’s tourism sector faces many challenges since 90% of visitor arrivals resort to low-cost travel and flights, he noted.
In order to support tourism, the government has decided to cancel landing taxes at Marka International Airport (MIA) and Aqaba King Hussein International Airport, and the government hopes to license MIA as an international airport. In regard to the government’s decision in 2018 and 2019 to approve subsidized aviation, he noted that its outcomes were reflected in the number of European tourist missions to Jordan before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Among the steps taken to support the tourism sector, he said the tax was reduced from 16 to 8 percent. He said the Cabinet decided to treat any tourist enterprise, regardless of its location or type, as a business in Jordan’s economic zones. Youth initiatives have begun to draw attention to local tourism, which is driven by individual efforts supported by civil society and donors, he said.
According to him, there is a tendency to diversify tourism sources to reduce risks to the sector, such as investment in medical, educational, and adventure tourism. He noted that Ryanair has flown 74,000 tourists since March 2022, only 14% of which are Jordanians, and that other airlines, including Royal Jordanian, fly 50% of their passengers on transit flights.
As for JTB, he said it carries out its promotional and e-marketing activities professionally on various social media platforms because Jordan has ranked among the top ten countries in the world in this field, and it won the award for best promotional film in the world. JTB, he noted, is interested in attracting tourists, whose stay exceeds five days, to contribute to stimulating all tourism businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, travel offices, and other related businesses.