Jordan Times
Wednesday, December 1, 1999
Economist reviews tourism development, perspective
AMMAN (J.T.) — With the dawn of a new Millennium, Jordan promises a fresh look at tourism, a sector seen by many as the country's “wealth, which if properly utilised, could help pull the country out of a long economic recession,” according to a local economist.
“Tourism is a vital economic sector in Jordan that contributes to badly needed economic diversification,” said Nassim Barham, a professor of economic geography at the University of Jordan.
In a recent study on “Tourism in Jordan: Development and Perspective,” Barham put the development of tourism and great future policies under the microscope.
He stated that the number of foreign tourists increased from 774,871 in 1993 to 1,073,549 in 1995, an increase of 38.5 per cent. But while the numbers increased by 2.7 per cent in 1996 and 2.2 per cent in 1997, the boom now seems to have lost its momentum, he said.
With appropriate policies and sound tourism strategies Jordan can “compete with Egypt, Israel, Syria and Lebanon,” according to the study whose findings will be reviewed at a roundtable jointly organised by the Young Entrepreneurs Association (YEA) and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) on Wednesday.
At the roundtable, that will bring together YEA members, officials from the Tourism Ministry, related governmental and non-governmental bodies as well as representatives from the tourism sector in Jordan, Barham will highlight problems and challenges that hindered tourism development in the country.
He said that the 10.2 per cent contribution of the tourism industry to Jordan's GDP is still below the 1989 figure of 13.3 per cent.
The stagnation in peace negotiations between the Palestinian National Authority and Israel has affected the development of tourism negatively, he added.
Barham has conducted many studies and written several papers on tourism in Jordan, the findings of which were published in Jordanian as well as specialised foreign magazines.