Jordan's tourism sector offers 55,000 jobs, with more to come — Tourism Ministry

AMMAN — The Tourism Ministry is eager to collaborate with all partners that seek to implement projects that support and promote Jordan's tourism sector at the local, regional and international levels, Tourism Minister Makram Queisi said on Thursday.

In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Assistant Director of the Department of Antiquities (DoA) Ahmad Mousa during the opening of the ICT Mediterranean platform for UNESCO cultural heritage exhibition (iHERITAGE), Queisi praised the project's role for promoting Jordan's tourism and archaeological sites at the global level — especially Petra — with digital technology that helps attract international visitors.

He noted that Jordan's tourism sector offers 55,000 jobs, and according to the Economic Modernisation Vision, there is a roadmap to increase this figure and boost investments in the tourism sector. Further, 13 per cent of GDP is generated from tourism, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The exhibition witnessed the launch of the official website for the city of Petra and other tourist sites, which features an online 3D virtual tour for visitors.

The event and the website were created by the Jordan Society for Scientific Research, Entrepreneurship and Creativity (JSSR) and the DoA, the Jordanian partners in the EU-funded iHERITAGE project.

JSSR President Rida Khawaldeh said that technology and its uses have become an integral part of "our lives", therefore utilising new technological tools to promote Jordan’s heritage and tourist sites is important.