Ministry turns focus to domestic tourism as sector takes hit over global virus fears

AMMAN — Tourism Minister Majd Shweikeh on Wednesday said that the ministry is ready to deal with any scenario in light of the global coronavirus outbreak, while focussing on domestic tourism to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.

Heading a meeting for the National Tourism Council, Shweikeh stressed the importance of launching a campaign to raise awareness about the virus and reassure foreigners and locals visiting tourist locations, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The "Urdun Jannah" programme, which encourages domestic tourism, can attract over a million Jordanians who travel to regional tourist destinations, Shweikeh said, calling for necessary measures to encourage domestic tourism in addition to offering competitive prices at hotels and restaurants in Aqaba, Petra and the Dead Sea. 

During the meeting, attended by Jordan Tourism Board Director General Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat, the ministry’s Secretary General Emad Hijazin and members of the national council, Shweikeh highlighted the importance of sanitising all tourist locations prior to the launch of the next phase of the Urdun Jannah programme. 

“We fully trust the measures the Health Ministry and the authorities have taken,” the tourism minister said, noting that “Jordan… has control over the situation, which will reflect positively on tourist attractions in the future”. 

Also on Wednesday, Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents (JSTA) President Mohammad Samih told The Jordan Times: “The situation is very difficult. We lost 50 per cent of tourists from the earlier closures, but with new restrictions, it has reached 90 per cent.”

Although society members acknowledge the government’s efforts in the wake of the crisis, the JSTA president urged the authorities to address the sector’s concerns.

“The bans and border closures have been carried out, but the plan remains unknown for the future. The Tourism Ministry says that the Urdun Jannah programme for internal tourism will make up for it, but it will not,” Jordan Tourism Guides Association President Raed Abdelhaq said, noting that a dependency on internal tourism will not bring foreign currency into the country.

Minister of Health Saad Jaber on Tuesday announced a slew of preventive measures, including the suspension of travel with the exception of trucks to and from Lebanon and Syria indefinitely.

He also announced a ban on entry into the Kingdom for passengers arriving from Spain, France and Germany, and on Jordanian citizens travelling to these countries. The ban will be put into effect next Monday, March 16.

Sea crossings between Jordan and Egypt have been closed, with air travel to and from Egypt reduced by 50 per cent.

Under the new measures, the Jordan River Crossing, the King Hussein Bridge and the Southern Crossing will also be closed.