Jordan's tourism sector has been flourishing, with a record number of tourists last year, totaling almost 6.4 million. This increase in foreign tourists coming to Jordan reflects their growing interest in the cultural, historical, and natural landmarks, such as Petra, the Dead Sea, and the Wadi Rum desert. The country's tourism sector contributes significantly to the national economy, accounting for 15.6% of the GDP.
Jordan’s Tourism Is Resilient in the Face of Crisis
The geopolitical and regional context negatively affected the country's perception of security, leading to a temporary decrease in tourist arrivals. However, the Jordanian authorities swiftly collaborated with foreign offices to address these challenges. They effectively communicated with partners and implemented measures to ensure visitor safety. Additionally, the Kingdom has been actively promoting its diverse tourism experiences, offering incentives on charter flights, engaging in ongoing dialogues with industry professionals, and providing training.
Optimistic Outlook
In the first few months of 2024, efforts to revive Jordan’s tourism are yielding positive results. There has been a noticeable increase in searches for trips to the destination and a slight uptick in the completion rate. Notably, major sporting events such as the Marathon des Sables and the Full Moon Marathon have seen consistent participation from athletes and enthusiasts, particularly from the French market.
The organizers of the Marathon des Sables report that the number of foreign visitors has remained stable compared to the previous year, indicating sustained interest in the event. Additionally, the November marathon session was complemented by a second session in May, further contributing to the recovery of Jordan's tourism industry.
While the European market remains an important source of tourists, the increase in regional travelers has also played a significant role in the recovery of Jordan's tourism industry, with a 7.2% increase in the number of regional travelers compared to the previous year.
It's good to see Jordan doing well, but although trekking is sometimes mentioned, especially the Jordan Trail, other adventure activities are rarely mentioned. The climbing in Wadi Rum is now world-famous, but when we went in 1984, there was no climbing, though the Zalabia Bedouin of Rum had their own hunting routes in the mountains—some - which are now famous climbs enjoyed by many. As the first non-Bedouin climbers in Rum, with encouragement from the Bedouin and Tourist Board, we wrote the first climbing guide, and there are now many hundreds of routes as well as Bedouin camps catering for climbers and Bedouin mountain guides. Elsewhere, we developed trekking and canyoning throughout Jordan, also, to a much lesser extent, caving. All these activities bring adventure tourists; canyons like Hasa, Mujib, and Hidan are now famous, and there are numerous popular treks from half day to the country length Jordan Trail.