4.7m tourists visited Kingdom in first 9 months of 2024 – ministry

AMMAN — The influx of 4.7 million visitors to the Kingdom in the first nine months has had a "significant positive impact" on local businesses related to the tourism sector, stakeholders said on Thursday.

The total number included 4.021 million overnight tourists and 680,723 one-day visitors, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

Speaking with The Jordan Times over the phone, Rabii Shabsough, 27, who is an employee at one of the Dead Sea hotels, said that: “Overnight tourists have bolstered the hospitality sector especially during the peak season, leading to higher occupancy rates in hotels, resorts, and guesthouses.” 

Shabsough noted that the demand for extended stays was not that much this year, adding that: “Since the end of September things cooled down in general by nearly 20-25 per cent.” 

Local transportation, including taxis, and car rental services, have also benefited from the rise in both day visitors and overnight tourists.

Hassan Majali, a taxi driver, said that: “More tourists mean more customers for taxi drivers; however, nowadays with all the applications demand is lower.” 

He pointed out that tourist demand can help fill gaps during times when locals might not be using taxis, such as weekday mornings or late nights.

President of Restaurant Owners Syndicate Omar Awwad said: “Tourists are a major source of income, and we adjust our menu to cater to their preferences. However, sometimes during peak seasons small restaurants see challenges with keeping wait times manageable.”

According to the Tourism Ministry's bulletin, tourism revenue during the first eight months of 2024 amounted to $4.951 billion (some JD3.515 billion).

Recent figures released by the ministry showed a 7-per-cent decrease in the number of tourists visiting Jordan during the first eight months of this year compared with the same period last year.

Despite the overall decline, Arab nationalities continued to lead in visitor numbers, with 2.251 million tourists, marking a 5.7 per cent increase from the same period in 2023. 

“Arab visitors made up 53.5 per cent of the total visitors to the Kingdom,” the ministry said.

Expatriates in the first eight months of 2024 accounted for 28.9 per cent of the total visitors, while visitors from European countries decreased by 26.7 per cent, making up 10.9 per cent of the total visitors.

Tourists from Asian countries made up around 3 per cent of the total visitors in the January-August period, the ministry added. 

The number of visitors from American countries saw a significant drop of 49.8 per cent, reaching 115,300 visitors, a decline of some 114,500 tourists compared with the same period in 2023. 

Visitors from African countries contributed to 0.7 per cent of the total visitors to the Kingdom, the ministry's bulletin added.

The ministry also noted that the tourism sector generated JD3.5 billion in the first eight months of the year.