Jordan’s tourism officials are bracing themselves for a difficult few months due to the fall-out of the crises in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
The Jordan Tourism Board said that "the blessings of being strategically located between east and west have been outweighed by the stereotypes of being part of a ‘volatile’ Middle East".
It said it was encouraged by indicators for January which has seen a 7% increase in revenues over the same month of 2010, and a 6.1% increase in the number of visitors.
But MD Nayef Al-Fayez said he expected the region’s troubles to impact the sector’s performance in the coming few months.
“Negative reporting and misconception have mistakenly put Jordan in the same basket of turbulent countries,” he said.
He insisted that Jordan has a long-standing reputation as a “very safe, secure, and hospitable destination” and that the JTB was working to correct false impressions in the west which were driven by how the region was being reported.
“I hope that the region will overcome its volatility and return to stability, and that more people will have the chance to discover Jordan’s countless and priceless treasures,” he said.
By Bev Fearis
