Madaba, a 33-century-old city of unique and attractive historical features,
will be this year the venue for a string of tourist activities, having been
chosen the Arab Tourism Capital for 2022.
اضافة اعلان
Winning the prestigious title is timely, as
stakeholders in Jordan’s tourism sector, which is rightly dubbed “Jordan’s oil”
since it is a major contributor to GDP, are in top gear in a drive to regain
and surpass the pre-pandemic figures, of 2019, when tourism sector hit a
historical high with an annual revenue of around $5.8 billion.
Madaba will be a road show for the sector, with
hopes high that the event will draw the tourists’ attention to this central
town and its surroundings where centuries of history and geography meet.
Being in the spotlight, the Madaba program is a test
for tourism authorities’ skills in PR and event management, and for the
effectiveness and efficiency of their plans to take tourism to a whole new
level where all the criteria of destination management are met.
These criteria include modern management, solid
infrastructure, diversity of tourism resources and patterns, environment
protection, including keeping places clean and tidy, a sound and well-informed
response to developments in the world of tourism, safety, protection of public
health and stability, among others.
We need to ensure that every element in the equation is tourist-friendly and consistent with the goals of the Jordan National Tourism Strategy 2021-2025...
This, of course, necessitates awareness efforts
targeting host communities at all national destinations, so that people,
authorities and other stakeholders are all on the same page as we inch toward a
very challenging and demanding future.
We need to ensure that every element in the equation
is tourist-friendly and consistent with the goals of the Jordan National
Tourism Strategy 2021-2025, which “places the tourism sector at the heart of
Jordan’s economy and society”, addresses “the challenges and gaps Jordan faces
and aligns them with the strengths and opportunities the country can build on
to bolster national economic growth and job creation”.
Speaking of strengths, which we should capitalize
on, it is safe to say that the private sector tourism has mastered the art, and
is likely to play a pivotal role in promoting the image of Jordan as a must-see
destination. This has been recognized internationally as, for example, a
five-star Amman hotel, the Four Seasons, has been awarded Five Star Hotel
Honor by 2022 Forbes Travel Guide.
As oil prices soar and oil-producing Gulf countries
are harvesting this boom, we need to be very careful and insightful as we
design packages for GCC tourists coming to Jordan, who look for a safe,
family-friendly destination, where all members of the family find the best
places to stay, visit and shop with no hustle and the best and most amusing
experience ever.
Let us keep in mind that some regional competitors
are going through very difficult times that keep them off the radar of Arab
tourists. The upside of this situation is that Jordan and very few other Arab
destinations are now in the field, and as such, failure to seize this
opportunity is not an option.
With all of this in mind, local media outlets are
challenged, too, to shoulder their responsibilities. The key word is
“professionalism”. Chasing clicks and likes by focusing on the negative side of
any story and playing “sensational” is not professional and is
counterproductive.
Jordan has a story to tell the world, an interesting
one if we know how to narrate it, keeping the best interest of our beautiful
country in our minds.
The
writer is a former advisor at the Royal Hashemite Court, former director of
media and communication at the Office of His Majesty King Abdullah, and works
currently as a senior advisor for media, strategic communication, PR,
international cooperation, and business development locally, regionally and
globally. khaliddalal@aol.com
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