Jordan tourism is on right track and it is growing well after the revenues jumped to $4.5 billion or 12.6 percent growth during first 10 months of 2018.
The tourism numbers represent a leap in the volume of tourism performance in a country that has seen its economy heavily hit as a result of uncertainty in the region, according to officials.
The officials from tourism authorities told ANSA that the rock engraved city of Petra is seeing the highest number of visitors in years, as hotels run in full capacity while cruise ships docking in the port city of Aqaba are lining up with thousands of visitors on weekly basis.
The government and tourism operators expect yet another increase in number of tourists during the coming period after the start of low cost flights to the kingdom from Europe such as Easy jet and Ryanair. The officials from Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) said an aggressive promotion campaign, locally and internationally, played a significant role in attracting tourists to the kingdom.
According to Jordan Tourism Board, the government has also supported plans to stimulate the charter and low-cost flights, allowing for the number of tourists to rise compared to the previous years.
The tourism sector is considered the second main sources of foreign currency in a country that has no natural resources as its economy relies on services, remittances from expatriates in the gulf as well as foreign aid.
The Arab spring dealt a heavy blow to tourism sector, forcing many companies and operators to shut down or scale down their operation, but officials from Jordan Tourism Board hope the worst is gone after Syria war has eased up during the past months, coupled with reconciliation efforts in the war torn country.
Tags: Jordan tourism, Jordan tourism Board, Syria
