Tourism industry urges private-public cooperation for sustained success

AMMAN — Tourism experts and industry professionals are calling for strengthening collaboration between the public and private sectors to sustain the unprecedented achievements of the tourism sector  in 2023, marked by a surge in the number of visitors and tourism revenues.

According to statistics from Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the Kingdom welcomed around 5.937 million visitors during the past 11 months, showing an increase of 29.2 per cent compared with the same period in 2022, and an increase of 19.6 per cent compared with the same period in 2019, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

 Tourism revenues reached approximately JD4.894 billion, representing an increase of 30.5 per cent compared with 2022 and an increase of 28.8 per cent compared with 2019.

The record numbers of visitors and tourism revenues last year exceeded those of 2019, which is considered the golden year for the sector, according Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents (JSTA) President Suhail Halaseh. 

Halaseh emphasised the importance of drawing plans to maintain these achievements, including the implementation of public safety measures and investing in digital marketing and promoting various tourist attractions.

Hussein Hilalat, vice president of the Jordan Hotels Association said that the outstanding figures achieved by the tourism sector in 2023 require a comprehensive plan between the public and private sectors to attract further foreign and local investment, develop the infrastructure of all tourist and archaeological sites, and provide the necessary support to train the Jordanian workforce.

He also stressed the need to amend laws and regulations to facilitate investment, reduce taxes to mitigate their negative impact on investment returnsand provide economic incentives. 

Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association board member Nabih Riyal stressed that the figures and statistics for 2023 are excellent, but in the last quarter of the year, the numbers started to drop due to the aggression on Gaza. 

There were significant cancellations, ranging from 30-35 per cent in October, 60-65 per cent in November and 85-90 per cent in December, he said,  emphasising the need for marketing campaigns in all markets, especially in Europe, using various channels such as digital marketing, influencers, celebrities and billboards in European cities to showcase the Kingdom’s safety, he said.

He also stressed the importance of supporting tourism companies, maintaining their continuity and keeping their employees until the sector recovers, noting that no bookings have been seen for 2024 since the outbreak of the Gaza events.