Discussions held to support tourism as ‘crucial economic driver’

AMMAN —  Leaders International for Economic Development (LI), an NGO for economic development, conducted a series of focus groups on Wednesday discussing the curation of tourism experiences in Jordan as part of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Shiraka fund. 

The discussions addressed the state of tourism worldwide and in the Kingdom. Ultimately, participants came up with innovative ideas to be developed and marketed to help diversify the sector and attract more inbound and domestic tourists, according to a LI statement.

The proposed experiences were presented to a group of representatives from both the private and public sectors throughout the tourism sector in Jordan. Together, the actors discussed their feasibility, gaps and opportunities. They also considered the prevailing travel limitations and restrictions due to coronavirus, the statement said. 

Throughout the sessions, participants identified the main products to be developed and marketed: Wellness tourism, spiritual tourism, cultural tourism and ecotourism.

Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Jordan, Harry Verweij, said: “The embassy is committed to supporting tourism projects and initiatives that contribute to stimulating the local economy and promoting Jordan as an attractive destination for travellers worldwide." 

He also praised Leaders International’s cooperative, participatory approach with representatives of the tourism sector.

Hamzeh Shamaileh, Country Manager at LI, added: “Tourism in Jordan is a crucial economic driver, and Jordan is a top regional tourism destination. Through the project, we will curate new tourism experiences that will serve as investments to instrument Jordan’s economic recovery.” 

Shamaileh stressed the importance of engaging local communities to ensure the sustainable development of the sector, in line with evolving needs and the organisation’s mission to further resilience and inclusion.

The project started off with a study to examine tourism outlooks from international and regional perspectives. The study, which compared demand, needs, and trends pre and post-corona, identified the sector’s strengths, gaps and opportunities in Jordan. 

The results confirmed increasing demand for ecotourism and local experiences, while shedding light on trending concepts with growing potential – like female solo travel and workcations.The study concludes with the derived innovative products to be developed and promoted in the upcoming years.