‘Final exams might stand in way of vacationers this long weekend’

AMMAN — Aqaba and other tourist destina- tions in Jordan are expected to receive a “fair” number of visitors during the three-day holiday this week, industry leaders said Wednesday. However, local demand for Aqaba tourist sites at this time of the year is forecast to be less than any other time as the holiday, which starts Thursday on the occasion of Prophet Mohammad’s birthday, coincides with school and university final exams, ASEZA Commissioner

for Economic Development and Investment Affairs Sharhabeel Madi told The Jordan Times.

But Madi left room for optimism, saying the arrival of Christmas a day later could encourage a good number of Christians to visit the port city, some 330km south

of Amman.

Aqaba’s are offering “good prices” to encourage visitors to spend several days in the city, Salahiddin Bitar, the president of the Aqaba Hotels So- ciety, told the Jordan Times.

Shaher Hamdan, president of the Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents, seemed more optimistic, describing the current demand for popular vacationing destinations such as Aqaba, the Dead Sea, Wadi Rum and Petra as “very good” without giving any figures.

“Aqaba could top the list among other local sites,” Hamdan added.

Sharm El Sheikh and Turkey are not popu- lar destinations for the majority of Jordanians at this time of the year due to the short holiday, unlike in summer, he explained.