Local tourism agencies struggle amid Gaza war, witnessing significant drop in bookings

AMMAN — All joint programmes with the occupied West Bank along with approximately 80 per cent of tour packages with other countries have been cancelled, according to Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents (JSTA) President Suhail Halaseh. 

The major drop is contributed to the escalating Israeli war on Gaza.

“Demand has dropped since the onset of war. However, we cannot determine the extent of its impact on local travel agencies,” Halaseh said. 

No major cancellations were reported at the beginning of October, but by the end of the month, the status of the tourism sector worsened, he noted.  

Amid the ongoing war in Gaza, tourism, travel agents and operators received last-minute cancellations driven by concerns of regional spillover. “The situation is undoubtedly grim, especially if it persists into the end of the year, with no reservations being made for later dates or for 2024,” Halaseh said. 

The JSTA is currently holding periodical meetings with relevant stakeholders, and an operational unit for crisis management has been established in order to monitor the situation closely, he noted.

“Some customers have moved their bookings for a later date, but the majority has cancelled their reservations altogether,” said Mahmoud Amer, an employee at a tourist agency, noting that their agency tour bookings have dropped by at least 30 per cent since the beginning of November.

Tahseen Munthir, a director at a tourist agency, told The Jordan Times that “since the beginning of the war in Gaza, all agencies have been significantly impacted. In October there was a decrease of approximately 10 per cent in bookings”.