Jordan Times
Tuesday, March 7, 2006
5.817 million visitors
generate JD1.022 billion in tourism revenues in 2005
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN — Tourist arrivals in the Kingdom rose by
4.1 per cent last year, with 5.817 million visitors compared to 5.587 million in
2004, the latest official figures revealed on Monday.
Data released by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) indicated an upward trend in
tourist traffic to the country, generating JD1.022 billion in tourism revenues
in 2005.
According to the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ), tourism revenues grew by 8.4 per
cent last year up from JD943 million in 2004.
The encouraging results shown by the sector last year are in line with the
expectations forecast by the industry officials and observers.
Both the government and private sector have been working hard to build the
needed elements and marketing strategies to attract visitors to the Kingdom over
the past year.
These include pressing on with a series of tourism projects expanding the base
of leisure and recreational facilities in the country, along with ongoing
promotional efforts overseas to enhance the sector's tourism potential.
Such investments are designed to help Jordan compete with other destinations and
reinforce its image as a safe and attractive vacation spot for travellers to the
Middle East.
According to the latest figures, these efforts have also paid off in boosting
the number of overnight tourists in the Kingdom by 4.7 per cent last year
compared to 2004.
Approximately 2.986 million visitors spent the night in the Kingdom in 2005
compared to 2.853 million visitors in the previous year.
The number of overnight foreign tourists increased by 7.9 per cent, while
overnight Arab tourists rose by 3.1 per cent for that comparative period.
According to the figures, the number of overnight foreign tourists reached
623,572 visitors in 2005 compared to 577,755 visitors the previous year.
Overnight visitors from the United States increased by 19.8 per cent, while
overnight tourists from Europe and Asia and the Pacific rose by 4.7 per cent and
9.4 per cent respectively.
Arab overnight tourists, however, constituted the largest segment of visitors in
that category last year, accounting for 62 per cent of overall number of
overnight visitors to the country.
The increase in both tourist arrivals and overnight visitors to the country is
good news for the Kingdom, which is steadily building its industry in a troubled
region.
Tourist activity is one of the key drivers of business for hotels, restaurants,
tourist sites, tourist transport companies, taxis, malls and shop owners.
It is one of the country's strongest currency earners, accounting for 11 per
cent of GDP.
According to CBJ figures, tourist expenditure increased by 11.7 per cent last
year reaching JD414.8 million compared to JD371.4 million in 2004.
Tourist expenditure stood at JD320.4 million in 2003.
Although growing increasingly popular as a tourist destination, the Kingdom is
working hard to strengthen its position as a stand-alone destination.
Though popular among many Arab and Gulf tourists, the Kingdom has often served
as a transit point for other neighbouring countries such as Syria, Egypt and
Lebanon.
Foreign visitors also often visit the country as part of a tour to the region.
According to the latest figures, tourists to the Kingdom on package tours spent
4.5 nights here last year, compared to 5 nights in 2004.
Despite a 10 per cent drop in the length of stay of package tours, overall
arrivals in this category went up 32.9 per cent last year, with the number of
nights spent increasing 20.1 per cent.
Hotels located at or near some of the Kingdom's key tourist attractions had much
to gain from both foreign and local visitors.
The three hotels on the shores of the Dead Sea registered a 31.4 per cent
increase in the number of nights spent by visitors there last year.
Hotels in the Dead Sea, a fast developing tourist resort popular for the
benefits of its highly salty therapeutic waters, registered 264,506 nights in
2005 compared to 201,344 nights the previous year. Jordanians, who often go
there in the weekends, constituted the largest segment — 38 per cent — of the
number of nights spent there.
Hotels in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba also witnessed increased business
activity, with MoT figures showing an 11 per cent increase in the number of
tourist nights spent in the port city last year. Again, Jordanians constituted
the largest segment of tourists spending nights there, which at 380,905 nights
accounted for 49 per cent of overall nights spent in Aqaba in 2005.
Petra, better known as the “Jewel of Jordan” and currently the Kingdom's leading
tourist magnet, also witnessed an influx of tourists last year.
According to MoT figures, some 393,186 tourists visited the ancient Nabataean
site last year, compared to 310,271 the previous year.
The visitor influx generated a 13 per cent increase in the number of nights
spent by tourists in hotels in Petra, reaching 426,156 nights in 2005 compared
to 377,380 nights the previous year.