Iqlaa signs grant agreements with two innovative tourism incubators

AMMAN — Within the scope of USAID Informal Livelihoods Advancement Activity (Iqlaa), Mercy Corps - the programme's lead implementer - signed two grant agreements to support the establishment of two innovative tourism incubators, according to a statement for The Jordan Times. 

As per the agreements, Iqlaa granted a total of JD489.600 to Turquoise Mountain and Jordan Heritage collectively to establish innovative tourism incubators in Salt and Irbid that aim to serve 155 home-based businesses (HBBs) and micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in the tourism sector. The incubators will play a crucial role in enabling MSEs to innovate within the tourism sector by enhancing their managerial and technical capacities, improving their management practices, developing access to diversified markets, and increasing their resilience.

“Since it started in May 2022, the USAID-funded Iqlaa programme has focused on supporting HBBs and MSEs to grow and become more resilient. Towards that end, the programme has explored new ways of doing business and improving access to finance, markets and services”, said Ayat Tawil, Economic Specialist at USAID.

She added, “The support granted by Iqlaa to the two tourism incubators is part and parcel of the programme’s approach to further develop HBBs and MSEs in Jordan by strengthening the existing support-ecosystem outside the capital Amman. We strongly believe that such an approach will help achieve a wider scale and better sustainability of the impact that Iqlaa aims to achieve.”

Reflecting on the significance of these grants, Laith Qassem, Chief of Party at Iqlaa, stated, “Considering the strategic importance of the tourism sector in Jordan, and how badly it has been affected for the past few years, Iqlaa has been giving special attention to this vital sector, along with the other sectors it serves including the agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors.

The grant agreements we are celebrating today are a result of a vigorous competitive application process by Iqlaa that aimed at extending support to MSEs in the tourism sector through experienced and competent market actors that can build on this support and scale up its impact”, according to the statement.