Jordan Times
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Tourism ministry to launch e-map of investment
opportunities
By Dalya Dajani
AMMAN — The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on Wednesday announced plans to
launch the country’s first ever e-map to guide potential investors on the
various opportunities available in this sector.
Under an agreement with the Jordan Investment Board (JIB) yesterday, officials
from the two sides said the plan entails drawing up a tourism investment map for
small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The “Jordan Tourism SME Investment e-Map,” will provide specific data on the
various potential investment projects, with a basis of 75 projects or investment
opportunities each at a value of $100,000 or more.
“This is the first-ever such tool being developed for the tourism industry and
is an important reference for investors interested in looking at the options
available and other relevant information in that area,” Minister of Tourism and
Antiquities Osama Dabbas said yesterday.
“It will, for example, provide concise social and economic data on geographical
locations, population and other relevant information guiding their
decision-making process,” he added.
Ministry of Tourism Secretary General Farouq Al Hadidi and JIB CEO Maen Al Nsour
signed the agreement yesterday in the presence of Dabbas and Minister of Trade
and Industry Salem Khazaaleh.
Although the Kingdom is witnessing an investment boom in key hotspots such as
the Dead Sea and Aqaba, other areas with rich tourism potential remain untapped.
Proposed project sites in the e-map will include areas such as Um Qais, Jerash
and Ajloun, as well as Shobak and Tafileh in the south of the country.
The tourism investment map is an extension to another investment map being
tailored by JIB to attract investments in other sectors.
The JIB’s “Jordan’s Investment Map,” being drawn up in cooperation with the
Amman-based Business Insight Consulting and the British P. A. Consulting Group,
entails a comprehensive analysis of various investment opportunities in the
country, with particular attention given to underdeveloped areas.
Nsour explained that the SME investment map will provide a range of data on each
project with pre-feasibility studies right through to large-scale project
evaluations.
Both the JIB and the Tourism Ministry are jointly planning to hold a tourism
investment conference later this year to highlight investment opportunities in
the country.