Jordan to provide 99,000 jobs in tourism sector as part of socio-economic reform

Jordan aims to provide 99,000 jobs within the tourism sector as part of their economic modernisation vision, state news agency PETRA reported on Tuesday. 

The vision will be implemented over the next ten years as part of the country’s socio-economic reform agenda, focusing on “unleashing Jordan’s economic potential to achieve comprehensive sustainable growth”, Jordan’s Royal Court said in a statement on Monday.

The modernisation - which aims to create one million jobs in the next decade - considers eight economic growth drivers, as driver ‘Destination Jordan’ homes in on the tourism sector, to boost the economy and reduce unemployment following damage it sustained as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the country’s tourism sector has reportedly displayed growth following a sharp decline during the pandemic, as the number of tourists that visited Jordan in the first five months of 2022 increased by 310 percent, data from the ministry of tourism revealed.

This totalled to 1488 million people as the sector’s revenue during these five months reached around $1.64 billion, spokesman for the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Ahmed Al-Rifai, told The New Arab's Arabic-language service Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, in an article published on Sunday.

The country predicts that the sector would generate over $4 billion this year, statements from Jordan’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Nayef Al-Fayez state.

The World Bank also expect Jordan’s economy to grow by 2.1 percent this year.

The United Nations indicated its willingness to “support Jordan’s Economic Modernisation Vision… [and their] efforts in implementing this 10-year blueprint,” in a statement on Wednesday.

In another bid to boost the country’s tourism industry, Jordan announced in April that it would launch a multi-entry visa that will be valid for five years and allow holders a three month residency each time they arrive.

Jordan first decided to ease coronavirus related restrictions on foreign visitors in February, following two years of bans and restrictions on entering the country.