Jordan Times
Monday, May 31, 2004
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN Tourism representatives from across the Arab region agreed to reinforce their efforts to bolster tourism in this part of the world through an independent body operating under the Arab League.The initiative, announced Saturday by private sector tourism representatives from Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Sudan, would see the creation of an organisation to enhance cooperation between private sector tourism institutions in the Arab world.
With the region's share of global tourism not exceeding 3.4 per cent, the time was seen as ripe to prod this sector towards gaining a bigger piece of the global tourism pie.
Working alone does not bring results, said Bassam Kawash, head of the Jordan Restaurant Association.
The tourism sector is capable of generating much more than the levels we have reached at present. What we need is to form a unified agenda that would promote a healthy competitive platform from which to develop tourism in the region as a whole, he added.
According to Kawash, the blueprint for the organisation will be officially endorsed at the upcoming meeting of the Arab Tourism Ministerial Council (ATMC), an official body of the Arab League, charged with finding ways to develop and enhance tourism growth in the region.
The organisation, which will replace the ATMC's private sector committee, will explore ways to improve the service industry, encourage tourism investments and increase the volume of overseas tourists to the Arab world.
The Kingdom will be represented by the recently established Jordan Association of Tourism Societies (JATS) where Kawash serves as coordinator.
JATS represents the Kingdom's handicrafts, hospitality and restaurant sector, as well as its tour and travel agents.
According to Kawash, unified efforts of private sector tourism representatives will be looking at five main areas of cooperation: Hotel and restaurant industries, tour operators, tourism transport, tour guides and handicraft vocations.
Preparing the ground for such a unified agenda and facilitating travel between Arab countries are crucial to make the initiative feasible.
Kawash told The Jordan Times models such as Europe and South East Asia where countries are working together in healthy competition to generate common benefits for the tourism sector could be valuable.
The European Union, for example, has made it possible for millions to cross-border travel, enhancing both local and overseas tourism there.
The World Tourism Organisation last year indicated that pan-European tourism accounted for more than 80 per cent of global tourism.
The official drew attention to his own experience in Europe, highlighting the convenience and pleasures of travelling across borders with ease.
In just a few hours we were able to travel by train from one country to another without any difficulty, said Kawash, describing a trip that took him through France, Italy and Germany.
Marketing the Middle East in Europe and the United States could yield similar positive returns according to Kawash, as visitors from such long-haul destinations can make stops at different countries while on holiday in the Arab world.
A unified plan would be beneficial for the region and the competition would not hurt Arab industries as each country has its own distinct elements to attract visitors, said Kawash.
Jordan, for example, has its own distinct archaeological and historical treasures such as Petra and the Dead Sea, and Syria has other important landmarks, while Lebanon is popular for its entertainment and night life, he added.
The organisation may also propose to revisit standards regulating the industry in the region to ensure a unified level of services for consumers.
Other ideas include setting up management companies to provide training and resource development for tourism industry employees.
Securing employment for workers in the sector by exchanging expertise is also on the cards.
For example one country may lack tour guides while another has a shortage of specialised chefs. They could exchange or provide the other with the needed training so both could benefit, he added.
According to Kawash, the vision for a unified tourism agenda in the region may be a challenge, but it is attainable if all countries apply themselves towards realising its potential and valuable returns.
The newly established body, headed by Prince Bandar Ben Fahd Al Fheid, is to be based in the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Tourist traffic
Countries around the world were affected by the global tourism slump following Sept. 11. Other realities such as the SARS virus in Asia, continuing terror threats and conflicts continued to affect the sector adversely.
In Jordan, tourist traffic from the United States, Europe and Asia plummeted following the Palestinian uprising in 2000 and continued to be affected by regional and international instabilities.
While tourism has yet to recover completely, official indicators so far in the first quarter of this year are promising.
Ministry of Tourism figures reveal a 103 per cent increase in the number of American arrivals to the Kingdom between January and the end of March 2004.
According to the figures, 26,820 Americans visited Jordan in the first quarter of this year compared to 12,896 in the same period last year.
European arrivals also went up by 68 per cent for the same period from 34,019 tourists in 2003 to 57,143 in the first quarter of this year.
Arab tourists increased by 5 per cent in the first quarter of this year from 179,516 last year to 188,692.
According to World Tourism Council figures, the Arab world's more than 200 million people spend over $15 billion on tourism. Most of this amount is spent in the US, Europe and the Far East.