In his Article, Hussein Al-Jaghbier Discusses Tourism in the Future

Translated By: MAYS ALSHAWABKEH

With the commencement of classes, the summer has already come to an end, likely limiting citizen movement on a tourist level. There is no doubt that summer is still present, but due to the children's enrollment in their courses, the amount of time that Jordanian and non-Jordanian families can reserve is decreasing.

But does this signal the end of the tourist season, which brought Jordan hundreds of millions of dinars in revenue this year thanks to the remarkable work of the ministry of tourism and the tourism activation authority, whether through contracts made with low-cost airlines or through the marketing strategy employed. 

Simply put, the tourist season is still ongoing, especially given that Qatar will host the World Cup for the first time in the Arab world before the year is over. I believe that Jordan has a plan to bring tourists to the country on this particular occasion, and we hope that plan will be successful. 

On the other hand, there is winter tourism, which is difficult in Jordan because the winter is not the same as in Europe, but the Tourism Authority and the Ministry of Tourism have to work in two directions: start marketing the most notable features of the state tourists in the winter, like the exploitation of the Dead Sea and Al-Aqaba, as well as studying the needs of people who prefer winter tourism and finding it, because this has a significant role to play in increasing the state's economy.

The second is that we have plenty of time to begin preparing for the summer tourist season by taking advantage of the shortcomings we have already encountered, addressing them, and outfitting the necessary infrastructure in some tourist areas, after receiving feedback from tourists, while also creating activities that tourists will find useful, while also promoting conference tourism and adventures. 

In other words, if the stakeholders want to obtain significant benefits while analyzing all the agreements reached with a view to improve them, they should get out of the muddle of dismay and de facto policy, which emerges at the most inconvenient of times, and focus on early and previous planning. 

The State is aware that tourism-related earnings must rise, particularly in light of the severe economic challenges currently facing the country and the limited avenues available to do so, particularly in the commercial and industrial spheres.

On another level, it's necessary to assess the system in place to address medical tourism. Long a sanctuary for Arabs, Jordan's appeal has waned as neighboring nations have made medical advancements. However, the State has resources that are not present in many other nations, and the State can effectively promote and capitalize on these resources, as the Government is well aware. 

Jordan has stiff competition in the region, particularly from Turkey and Egypt, despite the fact that Jordan's tourism is of a higher caliber than that of Egypt. However, the success of these two nations can be attributed to their low cost. In order to establish a mix that will support domestic and Arab competitiveness, the Ministry of Tourism must initiate conversations with hotels, the Ministry of Energy, and investors.