The drop in tourism numbers in Jordan has resulted in a decline in tourism receipts.
As per recent statistics, tourism receipts may drop by JOD500 million if the plunge in number of tourists continues, said tourism minister Nayef Al Fayez.
Describing the current dip in number of visitors, Fayez cited official figures which show a 13.8% drop in number of tourists in the first five months of 2015.
The number of tourist groups to Petra dropped by 35% between January and May this year. The dip in revenues also impacted the sector wherein revenues were down by JOD150 m or 15%.
“If the decline continues at this pace, revenues from tourism may go down by JOD450 m to JOD 500 m by end of the year,” he indicated.
Tourism receipts amounted to around JOD3.1 bn in 2014, according to official figures.
In a bid to boost the sector, the Cabinet recently took a set of measures that include increasing the budget of the Jordan Tourism Board to carry out promotional campaigns for the Kingdom’s tourist attractions in regional and international markets.
The government has also decided to lower electricity tariffs for hotels and annulled entry visa fees for visitors who buy unified tickets for tourist sites. In addition, the Cabinet lowered the fees for visitors entering through land border crossings from JD40 to JD10 and removed the special tax on tickets for regular flights from Amman to Aqaba.
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