JORDAN – The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MTA) has revealed an estimated 4.7 million tourists visited the Kingdom of Jordan in the first eight months of 2024, a 7% decline compared to the same period in 2023.
Arab visitors increased by 6% in the reported period to 2.3 million tourists. According to the MTA, Arab visitors accounted for 54% of total arrivals.
However, European visitors declined by 27% year on year (YoY), while tourists from North America declined by 49.8% in the first eight months of the year. A total of 115,300 North American visitors entered Jordan in the reported period, a decline of 114,500 compared to the same period last year.
Tourists from African countries contributed to 0.7% of total tourists in the reported period.
In the reported period, expatriates accounted for 28.9% of total visitors to the country.
Tourists from Asian countries made up around 3% of the total visitors in the January-August period, the ministry added.
MTA also revealed the tourism sector generated JOD 3.5 billion (US$4.9 billion) in revenue in the reported period, although the ministry did not provide comparative figures for the previous year.
The decline is almost entirely attributed to the negative impacts of regional tensions. However, the Jordanian economy is projected to moderate to 2.3% in 2024.
MIT also expressed confidence in the tourism sector. The ministry revealed it expects tourism growth in terms of revenue generated to rebound to 3% by 2026-2027.
The ministry revealed a total of 4.021 million overnight tourists and 680,723 single-day visitors entered Jordan in the first three quarters of the year.
Omar Awwad, President of Restaurant Owners Syndicate reacted to the data by saying, “Tourists are a major source of income, and we adjust our menu to cater to their preferences. However, sometimes during peak seasons, small restaurants see challenges with keeping wait times manageable.”
He pointed out that tourist demand can help fill gaps during times when locals might not be using taxis, such as weekday mornings or late nights.
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