Jordan promoting its tourism sites to Russian audience

AMMAN — Jordan has taken to the small screen in Russia to promote tourist attractions in the Kingdom with the help of celebrity singer Sati Kazanova.  

Tohama Nabulsi, media and communications director at the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB), said a 30-second video promoting Jordan’s historical and tourist sites has been shown on TV channels in Russia, adding that the JTB has also launched commercials on radio stations and advertisements on billboard in several cities. 

“She [Kazanova] shot a video clip for one of her songs in Petra and Wadi Rum last year. She fell in love with Jordan and wanted to be a tourism face for the Kingdom in her country,” Nabulsi told The Jordan Times on Thursday. 

The JTB has been focusing on the Russian market, she said, describing it as important, indicating that a number of charter flights landed to Aqaba over the past few months carried hundreds of holidaymakers from Russia. 

Nabulsi pointed out that Russians love the sea and warm weather, both of which they found in other regional destinations such as Sharm El Sheikh and Turkey, adding that they became aware of the diversity of the tourism product Jordan offers, such as the Baptism Site, Petra, Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea.

“Tourist arrivals from Russia are picking up, but we still hope for more,” the JTB official said. 

Nabulsi said the JTB is still carrying out promotion campaigns in France, Germany and Britain, under which ads featuring key tourist attractions in the Kingdom are placed on taxis, buses and trains.

This year, the JTB will also launch promotional campaigns in other markets, including Italy, Spain, China and Scandinavian countries. 

‘Calm Jordan in troubled region’

Nabulsi explained the JTB is trying to prevent a decline in the number of tourists amid unrest in neighbouring countries.

“What we are doing is more of convincing tourists that Jordan is a trouble-free country,” she added. 

The JTB official said it is challenging to promote the Kingdom amidst regional chaos, as international media outlets tend to refer to the entire region as unrest-ridden.

“When potential visitors see reports on turmoil in the Middle East, they become afraid to head to the region. What we are trying to do is reach them with a message that Jordan is different. It is a calm country despite conflicts in the region,” Nabulsi said.