Gov’t measures not enough to attract tourism without genuine culture of hospitality — PM

AMMAN — The government has adopted “major and real” procedures to support the tourism sector to enable it to overcome challenges it faces, mainly as a result of the regional situation, Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Monday.

At a meeting with president and members of the Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents to discuss the sector’s concerns and challenges, Ensour said that dealing with tourists and supporting tourism is a “totally patriotic duty”.

The premier highlighted the need for Jordanians to collaborate to ensure the comfort and safety of guests visiting the country, stressing the importance of raising people’s awareness of safeguarding tourists against any wrong practices, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

“It is not right for the government to take measures to attract tourists, while we are not ready to receive them,” he said, urging citizens, taxi drivers, restaurant owners and all other stakeholders to show genuine hospitality as they receive tourists and to ensure that nobody takes advantage of the country’s guests.

The prime minister also called for marking a day for  Jordanian tourism at schools, colleges and universities that includes awareness activities on how to receive tourists and give a good impression about the Kingdom, Petra added.

Ensour noted that Jordan’s religious sites attract visitors from around the world, referring to the oldest churches in the world, sites visited by Jesus Christ, Mary and John the Baptist, foremost of which is the Baptism Site, which has recently been named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Replying to remarks by a travel agent on the selling and illegal uses of Hajj and umra visas, Ensour said he would investigate the matter and would not allow the Hajj and umra tourism sector, or any other sector, to be plagued by corruption or mismanagement.

Tourism Minister Nayef Al Fayez said that despite the drop in tourist numbers to the Kingdom, due to the regional turmoil, Jordan has been able to convey a message to the world that it has a normal life and enjoys security and stability. 

Official figures showed that tourism revenues in the first 11 months of 2014 stood at JD2.891 billion, compared with JD2.715 billion for the same period in 2013, despite the drop in the number of tourists visiting archaeological sites in 2014.

Fayez stressed that Petra is the focus of a tourism promotion, underlining the city’s need for important projects that cost some JD35 million, which is not available.

Shaher Hamdan, president of the society, noted that his organisation comprises around 700 travel agents specialised in inbound, religious, internal, Hajj and umra tourism sectors.

Hamdan called for halting licensing of new travel and tourism agencies until the sector’s market stabilises in light of the presence of a ”large” number of tourism offices, according to Petra. 

Head of the Lower House’s Reform bloc Deputy Mijhem Sqour said the House discussed the draft tourism law and arrived at points of agreement that would ensure support for the society and help the tourism sector increase its contribution to the national economy.