Jordan Times
Thursday, February 24, 2005
'Barrier-Free Jordan'
initiative proposed as crucial investment for tourism industry
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN — Tourism officials have welcomed a private sector's proposal to make the
country's tourist sites more accommodating venues for visitors with special
needs.
During a meeting on Tuesday with Minister of Tourism Alia Bouran, Ibrahim Hlajel,
head of Al Hirak for Tourism, said a more accessible physical environment for
travellers with disabilities could have a significant impact on demand for
travel to Jordan.
Hlajel presented the minister with an overview of the “Barrier-Free Jordan”
initiative, developed jointly with the Specialised Academy for Training, as a
crucial investment for the industry.
According to global tourism figures, 94 million European and American tourists
with various disabilities generated $13 billion in revenues for their tourism
industries last year.
Hlajel said the Kingdom could have a share of such demand with the proper
facilities in place.
Bouran told The Jordan Times that although it was relatively a new concept for
the industry, the plan to ensure user-friendly facilities for travellers with
special needs was a step forward.
She said tourists with physical, mental, hearing or sight impairments,
constituted an active segment of the travelling industry, which the Kingdom
should consider investing in.
“There's a worldwide movement of people with special needs and I think it's
important for us to begin promoting ourselves as a place where these visitors
can find their needs,” said Bouran.
“The plan also has a human dimension which suits the mission and image of a
country that is trying to promote cultural and family tourism,” she added.
In part, the Kingdom has already got a head start as the ministry's regulations
and special building codes require that hotels are constructed to accommodate
the needs of people with disabilities.
Most of these specifications, however, only exist in some of the newer hotels
that were developed since the regulation was introduced several years ago.
Bouran said her ministry would examine the existing infrastructure of the
country's hotels to determine where the revised modifications needed to be made.
“Of course some of these changes will vary from one hotel to another depending
on how much suitable accommodation their venues have already introduced,” Bouran
said.
The financial costs borne by hotels in introducing these modifications should be
regarded as a “worthwhile investment” as their venues would generate a wider
clientele, the minister said.
Developers of the Barrier-Free Jordan initiative also plan to work with civil
society and the tourism industry in particular, to improve awareness on the
needs of the physically challenged and promote standards to upgrade tourism
facilities to be in compliance with regulations.
They will also invest in building the skills of people with special needs to
improve their chances of employment with the hospitality industry.
Waddah Abul Ghanam from the faculty of tourism and hospitality at the Applied
University of Jordan (AUJ) — formerly Ammon College — expressed his support for
the creation of a specialised vocational training programme for the physically
challenged.
Abul Ghanam said AUJ would create specially designed rooms on its premises to
serve as a model for hotel developers.
Bouran told The Jordan Times that such involvement of the private sector
embodied the spirit of the Kingdom's National Tourism Strategy launched late
last year.
The strategy plans to develop a sustainable tourism economy by expanding
employment, entrepreneurial opportunities, social benefits, industry profits and
government revenue.
A main objective is to double tourism levels to 2 million by 2010 through
raising the tourism sector's competitive edge by boosting productivity, capacity
building, product development and modifying legislation towards that end.
According to Bouran, the ministry plans to hold a two-day retreat next month to
present the latest steps taken in implementing the strategy.