Arab Travel Market a key platform for promoting tourism in Jordan, says Managing Director of Jordan Tourism
Dr. Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat, Managing Director of the Jordan Tourism Board, highlighted his country’s keenness to become a key part of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2023 by participating through the board’s pavilion featuring tourism offices, travel agencies and tourism services providers.
Stressing that the exhibition is a vital platform for promoting tourism in Jordan, he stated, “We look forward to the market in the UAE, a promising market for Jordan, which is in turn considered a leading tourism destination for Emirati and Gulf families, especially during the summer and holiday seasons, in addition to medical tourism, adventure tourism and others.”
He also noted that Jordanian tourism products complement the UAE’s tourism products.
In a statement to Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the sidelines of the board’s participation in ATM 2023, which is currently being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Arabiyat said that the board had implemented an intensive tourism marketing campaign for Jordan, starting in Dubai. It is currently showcasing its new tourism services and experiences through this leading tourism exhibition in the Middle East.
He also affirmed the importance of the board’s reputation among Gulf and Arab people, who represent 50 percent of total tourists coming to Jordan. He pointed out that the Jordan Tourism Board has signed a cooperation agreement with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism to market Jordan and Abu Dhabi as joint tourist destinations.
Meetings were also held with airlines, such as Etihad Airways, Emirates and flydubai, to implement joint marketing programmes and activities to attract tourists from distant countries, such as Japan, South Korea and China, to spend several days in the UAE and then move on to Jordan as joint tourist destinations, since Emirati airlines connect these countries and have direct routes to and from Jordan, he noted. The Jordan Tourism Board has previously signed a similar agreement with Emirates and is keen to enhance its cooperation with Air Arabia, which has offices in Jordan and operates seven weekly flights connecting Abu Dhabi to the capital, Amman, and efforts are being made to increase these flights for joint marketing.
Tourism indexes in Jordan during the first quarter of this year were very positive, with a growth rate of 88 percent compared to the same period last year, with a 30 percent increase compared to 2019, Arabiyat explained. Tourism revenues in Jordan during the first quarter totalled US$1.7 billion. He expects an increase in the number of visitors to Jordan, especially to Petra, by 1.5 million visitors by the end of this year.
He attributed this increase to the success of marketing and promotional campaigns launched in several Arab and European countries while expressing optimism about attracting high numbers of visitors and generating more tourism revenue.
“The leading tourism experience in Jordan is the Jordan Trail, which extends over a distance of 700 kilometres and passes through 75 villages varying in terms of terrain, climate and landscape, from forests in the north to the Dead Sea, the largest natural resort in the world. In addition to the tourist destinations of Wadi Rum, Petra and Aqaba, which are famous for diving, water sports and other local tourism experiences, such as spending a whole day in the Jordanian countryside, motorcycle tourism also attracts large Gulf groups throughout the year,” Arabiyat said in conclusion.
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