AMMAN — Since the government decided to ease measures related to COVID-19 as of the
beginning of March,
Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents (JSTTA) member
and representative of hajj and Umra companies Essam Al-Shaer said that the
price for performing Umra (lesser
pilgrimage) will be lowered and, hopefully, there will be more demand for it
this year.
اضافة اعلان
Shaer told
Jordan News that cancelling the
PCR test is a strong incentive for those wishing to perform
Umra to book their
trips during this period, “as the cost of the trip decreased by approximately JD70”.
He also expressed hope that things will return to
the way they were before “so that Umra can be performed by everyone”.
Only about 7,000 people performed Umra from the
beginning of the current year so far, and these are a “tiny number”, said Shaer,
pointing out that in the years preceding the pandemic, between 350,000 and
450,000 people performed this pilgrimage every year.
Shaer also said he hoped there will be more
cooperation between Jordan and
Saudi Arabia to facilitate travel for people and
give them more opportunities to perform Umra with least effort and at lowest
costs.
Saudi Arabia still imposes some measures on Umra
pilgrims, in general, and specifically on the Tawaf (circumambulating the Kaaba
while performing the pilgrimage) for which it is now required to make prior
appointments and to abide by specific paths and distances.
Noureddin Abu Hilal, owner of one of the hajj and
Umra tour companies, told
Jordan News that people were afraid to travel
till recently. Hence, the demand for Umra was weak.
Moreover, the strict measures imposed by Jordan and
Saudi Arabia played a significant role in reducing the number of
travelers. However, easing these
measures this year means lowering costs and thus giving people more
opportunities, he said.
Umra, Abu Hilal said, is one of the Islamic rituals
that helps people relieve stress and gives them spiritual comfort.
“People now need
such an opportunity after the difficult period everyone went through.
Therefore, continuing to facilitate travel procedures as well as protecting the
safety of travelers is essential,” he said.
“The time has come to return to normal life
gradually, and this applies to all sectors, and the government has to study
more mitigating measures for the long term,” Abu Hilal added.
The matter is not limited to hajj and Umra trips,
sector officials say, as travel from and to Jordan is bound to be positively
and directly affected as well.
Ministry of Tourism spokesman Ahmad Al-Rifai told
Jordan
News that the ease of restrictions related to the COVID-19
epidemic,
recently announced by the government, will contribute to alleviating the
consequences of the pandemic on the tourism sector and revitalize tourism.
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