https://arab.news/6a3b7
RIYADH: Revenue generated by the tourism sector in Jordan reached $680.5 million in January, representing an annual rise of 22.8 percent.
Citing data from the Central Bank of Jordan, the country’s news agency, Petra, reported the boost was primarily driven by a 22.7 percent growth in spending from Jordanian expatriates, a 20.2 percent rise from non-Jordanian Arabs, and a 30.7 percent surge from non-Arab visitors.
Through the Jordan National Tourism Strategy 2021-2025, the country aims to attract international visitors with its archaeological and cultural heritage and natural landscapes.
Tourism growth in Jordan also aligns with the regional trend, where countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE are strengthening the sector as a part of their economic diversification agenda.
The latest report also highlighted a significant increase in spending in outbound tourism, which reached $184.9 million in the first month of the year, marking an annual rise of 29.4 percent,
In January, another analysis released by Jordan’s central bank revealed that the country’s tourism revenues in 2024 amounted to $10.20 billion, representing a marginal year-on-year decline of 2.3 percent.
CBJ added that this decrease in annual revenues was due to a 3.9 percent drop in the number of tourists visiting the country.
In its 2024 annual report, the country’s tourism ministry said that the war on Gaza had a detrimental impact on the performance of tourism in Jordan, resulting in a decline in the number of visitors and spending.
The data revealed that the country witnessed an increase in tourism revenue from Jordanian expatriates by 7.7 percent and from non-Jordanian Arab tourists by 12 percent in 2024.
Conversely, tourism revenues from Europe declined by 54 percent, followed by an income drop from the Americas at 54 percent and 15.3 percent from other nationalities.
However, the release added that the number of international visitors to Jordan in 2024 reached 6.10 million, exceeding the target of 5.36 million as outlined in the country’s Economic Modernization Vision.