War in Europe fails to dent demand for trips to Jordan, says tourism minister
Jordan is on track for a tourism boom despite the economic consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, its minister of tourism and antiquities has told The National.
The past three years included the kingdom’s best 12 months for the industry on record, Nayef Al Fayez said.
Though the outlook is bleak for some countries as the war’s economic effects pummel the favoured destinations of Russian and Ukrainian holidaymakers, he said that in his country it was picking up after two years of coronavirus lockdowns.
“For us in Jordan, we are lucky in terms of the size of the Russian and Ukrainian market, but still, there’s an impact,” he said at the Arabian Travel Market industry fair in Dubai.
“We were fortunate that the impact was less harmful than in other countries.”
The tourism minister said that Jordan’s hospitality businesses catered primarily to citizens and residents from the Gulf states, Jordanians living abroad and people from elsewhere in the Middle East.
Russians and Ukrainians represent a very small percentage of tens of millions of tourists who arrive annually.
Mr Al Fayez said he did not expect much hospitality business in the kingdom from Europe in general.
“From what I recall from the good years before the pandemic, there were around 50,000 visitors from the Russian market every year,” he said.
“Ukraine was much less than that. That’s similar to many other European markets for us. So our distribution of the market is equal to many other European markets. And some of the European markets are actually larger than that.”
The tourism industry is one of Jordan’s most important economic sectors. It accounted for 13 per cent of its gross domestic product in 2019, when the country welcomed an annual average of about five million tourists, including Jordanians living abroad.
Revenue reached $5.7 billion in 2019 before dropping to $1.4bn in 2020 because of the pandemic. In contrast, Russia’s tourism industry is weighed down by the double whammy of the pandemic and the economic and financial consequences of its invasion of Ukraine in February.
The Russian economy has been battered by western sanctions, with the rouble nosediving amid growing instability caused by the conflict.
In early March, Aeroflot, Russia’s largest airline, suspended almost all of its international flights, and the sharp change in the dollar and the euro exchange rates against the rouble have left many tourists who favour getaway beach resorts in the Arab world unable to afford air tickets or hotel bills.
Mr Al Fayez said returning demand for travel to Jordan was concentrated in the Middle East, Gulf and North Africa.
He noted Jordan’s diverse tourist attractions, from ancient cities such as Jerash and Petra – one of the New Seven Wonders of the World – to the splendour of the Dead Sea, nature reserves and hot springs.
But the weather is one of the country’s most significant assets, with the summer temperatures usually at about 33°C.
“Well, to start with, we would like to look at our neighbours and our friends, especially in the GCC market. And at the same time, the expats who are living within these countries,” said Mr Al Fayez.
“But still, we saw also an interest in Jordan during winter because our winter season is also pleasant.”
Many sectors are bearing the burden of higher prices due to the war in Ukraine.
The conflict has driven up oil prices, which have topped $110 a barrel and made flying more expensive around the globe.
Nevertheless, Mr Al Fayez believes that travel by plane can be an advantage.
“The diverse product that we offer in Jordan, within a short flight, is a plus for us,” he said.
A direct flight from Dubai to Amman typically takes less than three-and-a-half hours.
Mr Al Fayez said politics should not influence tourism, a vital source of hard currency and income to many countries.
“We would always like to separate politics from tourism,” he said. “Tourism brings people together.”