Tourism achieves ‘record’ gains in H1 — official

AMMAN — The number of tourist groups and tourism-generating income was on the rise during the first six months of this year, the Tourism Ministry’s Secretary General Issa Gammoh said. 

Gammoh described the figures the sector achieved during the first six months of 2018 as “unprecedented”. 

“Tourism revenues and number of tourist groups increased by 27.2 per cent and 25 per cent respectively,” Gammoh told a press conference to unveil the activities of Jordan Festival. 

The official attributed the increase to tourism revenues to activities organised by the government to attract more tourists in cooperation with the private sector, including Jordan Festival 

He added that there is an increase in the number of tourists from the Gulf states, the US, southeast Asia, Europe and Canada.  

Souha Bawab, the executive director of Friends of Jordan Festivals (FJF), said that the aim behind such activities is to support the sector and promote cultural and family tourism in the Kingdom. 

“We also want to put Jordan in the international map as a hospitable place and a country that is abundant with historical venues,” she added. 

Jordan Festival is the fifth event FJF holds at Amman Citadel, and there are plans to hold annually, according to Bawab.

The event will not be exclusively organised in Amman Citadel, but concerts are planned in other theatres around the capital.

On July 24, an opera performance will be held by Dima Bawab and other artists.

During August, Tom Odell, Emel Mathlouthi, Reham Abdel Hakim and Tom Jones will perform their shows at Amman Citadel.