War on Gaza affects Jordan's tourism industry, leading to spillover effects in hotel occupancy

AMMAN — The ongoing Israeli war on Gaza is impacting tourism to Jordan, amidst concerns of spillover; stakeholders on Monday reported a steep decline in hotels’ occupancy rates across the Kingdom. 

The Jordan Hotel Association (JHA) Vice President and Spokesperson Hussein Helalat told The Jordan Times that hotels’ occupancy rate in Jordan throughout October was expected to reach 95 per cent.

However, the situation changed after October 7, when Hamas’ Al Qassam Brigades launched operation “Al Aqsa Flood” in Israel. 

Many governments have since warned their citizens against all but necessary travel to countries in the region, including Jordan. 

Helalat said that this lead to the cancellation of approximately 50 per cent of hotel reservations for October. 

The occupancy rate at hotels in November was expected to reach 80 per cent but around 60 per cent of previously “confirmed reservations” were cancelled, he added. 

According to Helalat, these figures are well below the seasonal average.

He also pointed out that the most affected hotels are those in Petra, which mostly attracts European and American tourists this time of the year. 

Figures issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in 2022 show that there is a total of 607 hotels in operation across the Kingdom with approximately 30,000 rooms and over 55,000 beds. 

The tourism sector in Jordan employs 43,888 workers, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Its 2022 figures revealed that there are 21,835 workers in hotels, including 18,447 Jordanians, and 20,770 workers in tourist restaurants, including 14,447 Jordanians. 

Chairman of the Tourism and Hospitality Sector Skills Council Mohammed Al Qasem said that the decline in hotels’ occupancy rates will impact workers in the sector. 

He explained that workers at tourism facilitate receive a percentage of the “service charge” paid by customers in addition to their basic salary. Many also enjoy bonuses during high season periods in the tourism sector, which include September, October, and November. 

However, Qasem doesn’t expect long term impacts of the war on the Kingdom’s tourism sector. 

“The national tourism sector has always proven to be resilient, so we expect a fast recovery, as Jordan remains a safe and attractive tourism destination … our main concern at the moment is stopping the war to end the suffering of our people in Gaza,” he said. 

Sahar, a Jordanian mother of three, said that she and her husband had canceled their planned family trip to Aqaba in October. 

“We can’t go about enjoying our lives while our brothers and sisters in Gaza are being bombarded. We feel so helpless; all we can do is donate to humanitarian aid and pray,” she told The Jordan Times. 

“My heart burns seeing photos of innocent children as old as mine killed by Israeli airstrikes. I can’t imagine how their mothers must feel,” added Sahar.