Local, budget-friendly restaurants left out of Jordan’s tourism boom, say stakeholders

AMMAN — The unprecedented tourism boom caused touristic restaurants to experience increased footfall in the Kingdom, while local budget-eateries are facing adverse affects, according to stakeholders.         

“The increase in tourists has definitely improved the local restaurant sector’s sales, but it has not necessarily affected other sectors in the Kingdom,” Omar Awad, president of the Jordan Association for Restaurants and Sweet Shops, told The Jordan Times. 

Most tourists coming to Jordan have all-inclusive packages that include meals, indicating that they will not necessarily dine in local restaurants, he added.

He pointed out that restaurants in touristic locations have witnessed significant increases in customers, while local budget-friendly eateries are facing cash flow deficits due to low demand.

Moreover, “many local food businesses in Amman and other governorates are on the verge of shutting down, because they have experienced a decline in business, as much as up to 60 per cent,” he said. 

 “The higher the number of tourists the higher demand for restaurants located in or around busy areas,” Sameh Tarawneh, owner of a local food restaurant, told The Jordan Times, noting that the phenomenon has become more pronounced since April.

“People, particularly in Amman, now opt for casual dining restaurants that offer quick service and have frequent customers,” Mahmoud Qadi, an employee at a restaurant in Amman, told The Jordan Times.

 “There are now restaurants that are constantly fully booked, but at the same time, a substantial number of restaurants have not experienced any change amid the ongoing tourism boom,” he added.