The potential impact
of tourism is not limited to a country’s economic development and cultural
change, it has political, economic, and security possibilities and implications
that go far beyond the borders of a nation. Hence, there is a need to integrate
tourism-products internationally and regionally.
اضافة اعلان
For example, for
Jordan the obvious links are religious tourism with Saudi Arabia and the
churches of Jerusalem and beyond.
The potential of
tourism as a socio-economic integration channel is not limited to bridging the
gap between relatively well-to-do urban centers and economically
underprivileged peripheries. In that respect, tourism has contributed
significantly to bridging the gap in Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Tunis, Turkey,
Greece, Italy, Spain, Indonesia, Kenya, Colombia, Guatemala, and Costa Rica, to
name a few. In these countries, tourism receipts are not only a major
contributor to national income, they are also a major propeller of a more
equitable income distribution as tourism impacts service providers outside the
conventional locations of tourist activities.
In many of these
countries, the full potential of impact-investment in tourism has not been
satisfactorily realized. Jordan is no exception. The diversity of tourism
products, from archeological, cultural, religious, nature, business (MICE),
wellness, medical, astrological, to sky and water sports, film-related,
exploration, and weather tourism has the potential to make Jordan a global
destination.
For this to
happen, there is need of government-driven investment that creates an enabling
environment, as well as of private-sector leadership in driving multilayer
scalable projects.
Youth-led
initiatives are well under way in many parts of the country, but affordable
access to land, financing, and cost of business (overregulation, cost of
energy, and heavy bureaucracy) are still major hurdles that are pushing Jordanian
investors away.
When the economic power houses of the region ignite their tourism potential, the industry in Jordan should gear up for constructive engagement. We cannot afford to miss the opportunity to expand our economy and generate jobs for our youth.
To be sure, the
investor confidence index surveys conducted by NAMA and Jordan Strategy Forum
found that only 5 percent of investors reported to have “expanded their
business in Jordan in the past year” in January 2022, compared to 45 percent in
May 2017. Moreover, those who said that they “reduced their business in the
past year” in Jordan increased from 12 percent in May 2017 to 53 percent in
January 2022. Tourism businesses may have done better than the overall,
especially in 2019, but more is needed to solidify base and build
confidence.
In the troubled
Middle East more economic integration is not only “nice to have” but a
necessity for stability and prosperity. The established economic and trade
agreements within the region and between countries in the region with global
economic powers are yet to realize their potential. When the economic power
houses of the region ignite their tourism potential, the industry in Jordan
should gear up for constructive engagement. We cannot afford to miss the
opportunity to expand our economy and generate jobs for our youth.
After two years,
partial and total lockdowns came to an end globally. Travelers are taking
revenge. Global trends point to a sharp rise in the number of travelers and
hotel bookings. Jordan is no exception to this global trend where global
nomads, digital nomads, and free independent travelers are roaming the plains
of planet earth.
We should be able
to make them “repeat visitors” or, even better, “frequent guests” that wish to
experience Jordan’s diverse products.
The writer is chairman of NAMA Strategic intelligence
Solutions fares@namasis.com
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