National strategy seeks to double tourism revenues

Tourism authorities have drafted a strategy seeking to almost double revenues from the sector in five years and build on achievements realised under the current plan. According to a senior official, planners seek to render Jordan “a distinct destination offering a diverse, year-round visitor experience that will enrich the lives of Jordanians and their guests”. Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Haifa Abu Ghazaleh said on Thursday that the strategy is designed to increase the competitiveness of Jordan’s tourism industry and enhance the visitors’ experience through innovative products and services. The minister made her remarks during the launch of the 2010-2015 National Tourism Strategy that is designed to continue on the goals set in the 2004-2010 strategy and provide the necessary direction for stakeholders in tourism. The five-year strategy, according to Abu Ghazaleh, aims at increasing tourism receipts to JD4.2 billion in 2015. Last year, the tourism revenues stood at JD2.4 billion. The strategy was developed in partnership between the public and private sectors with technical support from the USAID Jordan Tourism Development Project (Siyaha). Its components include marketing and promotion, product development, labour market development and improving the tourism environment. In the marketing and promotion area, the strategy aims at increasing total arrivals to 9.4 million, revenues to JD4.2 billion, and to increase domestic tourism by 30 per cent over the period in question. However, in the period of the previous strategy, visitor numbers grew by 48 per cent from around 5.5 million visitors in 2004 to more than 8.2 million by 2010. Overall revenues increased from JD943 million in 2004 to more than JD2.4 billion in 2010. Receipts from domestic tourists increased substantially since 2007 by 34 per cent as did receipts generated from the Gulf countries, by 43 per cent, other Arab countries (38.2 per cent) and foreign visitors (57.5 per cent). To build on these results, marketing and promotion efforts will focus in the coming years on increasing international and domestic tourism numbers and revenues and extending visitor lengths of stay through improved international and domestic marketing, according to the strategy. In the product development area, the strategy seeks to increase air capacity into Jordan by 20 per cent, complete 20 new demand-driven tourism infrastructure projects, and approve and classify 100 per cent of hotels and 80 per cent of restaurants under the national classifications scheme. Between 2004 and 2010, the number of hotel rooms in Jordan increased by 22 per cent from 18,127 to 24,009 with the addition of 24 new hotels. In the labour market development area, the new strategy seeks to create 25,000 additional direct jobs in tourism, increase female participation in the workforce by 15 per cent, train 5,000 students and provide training on hospitality skills for 40,000 employees. In the past six years, direct employment in tourism increased by almost 85 per cent and female participation has grown by 10 per cent. The five-year strategy calls for a new tourism law and updated bylaws.