As summer begins, amidst a host of economic challenges, the news about growth in
tourism revenues has come as a breath of fresh air, triggering hope that a
major contributor to GDP is showing clear signs of recovery.
اضافة اعلان
The
statistics-backed positive outlook of the national tourism sector provides a
lesson we should not overlook: know what you have, plan how to benefit from it,
and results will start emerging.
In a recent
interview with Al-Ghad newspaper, Tourism and Antiquities Minister Nayef
Al-Fayez said that tourism revenues are expected to record JD2.9 billion by the
end of the year, noting that in May, the number of tourists was up by 22
percent compared to the same month last year, and even better than in May 2019,
the pre-pandemic era, when tourism hit a historic growth.
This year’s
forecast of returns from tourism activities will be short by 30 percent of the
base year, but officials are optimistic, and facts and indicators support this
sentiment.
For one thing, the
Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) launched last November the country’s new tourism
brand, “Kingdom of Time”, coupled with a solid strategy and impressive plans to
spread the message across the world.
According to JTB
Director Abdel Razzaq Arabiyat, “Jordan’s new tourism brand marks a shift in
the role of tourism as a driver of local sustainable development”.
All sectors, including tourism, need to ignore the negative and fake news, focus on their points of strengths, draw up their strategy and embark on the journey to implement it.
The fact that
Jordan is truly the “Kingdom of Time” and an open museum, the clear and
convincing vision of planners, the fact that the world is open again and humans
are eager to travel after two years of COVID-imposed lockdowns, along with the
rise of budget airlines, among other factors, will be very helpful to promoters
looking to sell the product.
A recent
international study found that “a whopping 96 percent of participants are
planning to travel overseas in 2022, representing an 11 percent increase over
pre-pandemic levels for international travel”.
The study was
conducted by a global insurance and assistance services company, the
International Medical Group, whose Chief Commercial Officer Amanda Winkle,
commented: “It is clear that people are feeling more comfortable traveling
abroad and are ready to take the international trips they have had to delay
over the last couple of years”.
Having put the
rising hopes in perspective, we need to also tackle what could be dubbed as
“the social media trap syndrome”. It is undeniable that at least some officials
and policy makers cannot find time to think and plan strategically because they
spend a good part of their time responding to discouraging social media
campaigns, or even isolated comments, led by rumor mongers and self-proclaimed
“influencers” who have the conviction that good news does not generate clicks
and views, but harsh, albeit groundless, criticism and fake news does.
All sectors,
including tourism, need to ignore the negative and fake news, focus on their
points of strengths, draw up their strategy and embark on the journey to
implement it.
That cannot be
hard, especially that we have the right spirit to make a difference, and we
will. Tourism is Jordan’s oil. Let us always remember that.
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.
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