Fayez calls for promoting Jordan’s stability as major tourist attraction

AMMAN — Jordan is an oasis of stability and this is the message that should be delivered through the media and promotion campaigns to salvage the country’s tourism sector, Tourism Minister Nayef Al Fayez said on Thursday.

According to Fayez, despite the limited allocations for tourism promotion — no more than JD7.5 million — the ministry along with partners will intensify promotion campaigns targeting markets that witnessed a drop in the number of visitors to Jordan.

In an interview with The Jordan Times, the minister said archaeological sites are the most affected by the drop in number of tourists and it is the duty of all Jordanians to help change the misconception that Jordan is part of the regional turmoil.

Fayez said although the so-called Arab uprisings have had an impact on the tourism sector in Jordan, the war against and the Daesh terrorist group affected it more.

He explained that when the number of tourists started to show improvement in mid-2014 and after three years of decline, Daesh’s control over some areas in neighbouring countries brought a new slump in visitor numbers.

The minister reiterated that the country’s message to the world is that it is an oasis of stability and there is much to see in Jordan.

Thus, the ministry will submit recommendations that address the sector’s challenges to the Cabinet soon to start with the implementation.

He explained that the recommendations are in implementation to update of the National Tourism Strategy (2011- 2015) that connect it to the 2025 vision.

Currently, the tourism sector provides more than 48,000 direct jobs for Jordanians and has some 28,000 hotel rooms.

The strategy, however, seeks to have an additional 30,000 hotel rooms, which will double the job opportunities currently available for Jordanians.