AMMAN — Ministry of Tourism
spokesperson
Ahmed Al-Rifai told
Jordan News that 780,000 people visited
Jordan during the first quarter of this year, of whom 381,000 in March alone,
compared to 196,000 visitors in the same period last year, or a 298 percent
increase. As a result, tourism revenues reached JD633 million.
اضافة اعلان
Rifai said that tourist sites are ready to receive
visitors, and deal with the expected increase in tourism activity during the
Eid Al-Fitr holiday, when the number of tourists may increase by 30 percent to
35 percent.
The numbers are, however, expected to decline
by the end of the holiday.
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the
Jordan Hotel Association Abdul Hakim Al-Hindi said that hotels in Jordan
recently witnessed high occupancy rates due to the easing of procedures imposed
by the pandemic and the mild climate the Kingdom enjoys.
According to Hindi, hotel reservations during
Eid Al-Fitr have an occupancy rate of 90 percent to 95 percent, as follows:
Amman hotels 85 percent, Dead Sea hotels 96 percent, and Petra hotels 87
percent.
Hindi said that the occupancy rates from the
beginning of the holy month of Ramadan until Monday reached 47 percent at Amman
hotels, 38 percent at Dead Sea hotels, and 45 percent at Petra hotels.
Jordan Tourism Board Director General Abdul
Razzaq Arabiyat told
Jordan News that “we are working intensively to
attract tourism through promotional campaigns in foreign and Arab countries,
and will participate in the ATM exhibition, which will be held in Dubai early
next month to promote tourism in Jordan”.
Arabiyat added that the first low-cost
airline, Wizz Air, would arrive today from Abu Dhabi to Aqaba.
Ahmed Malhas, member of the
Tourist Guides Association, told
Jordan News that a large number of tour guides are
preparing for the tourist season, adding that “the guides are enthusiastic
about receiving tourist groups, especially after two years of no work”. He said
that there are 1,300 guides all over the Kingdom.
Economist
Jawad Al-Anani told
Jordan News that the holiday will have a positive economic impact, helping revitalize local
and international tourism, increase demand for hotels, restaurants, and
transportation.
At the same time, a large number of
Jordanians will travel abroad for tourism purposes, he said, adding that “there
is a cost to Jordanians traveling abroad, and the vacation came during working
days, which will affect the economy negatively”.
Anani also called for allowing individuals
arriving in Jordan to make purchases at duty free markets.
Read more National news
Jordan News
.jpg)
.jpg)
