Tour operators are being encouraged to include a wider range of community-led experiences and sustainable accommodation in their programmes to Jordan as the destination enjoys a continued bounce-back in UK visitors.
The destination has already reported a 32% year-on-year increase in UK travellers, from 22,762 to 30,041, between January and July this year.
Jordan’s secretary general for tourism Yazan Al Khudairi said the positive momentum in the UK market had continued since the summer following the recent Gaza ceasefire.
“We have noticed a good comeback in the last two months for UK visitor numbers,” he said, adding UK visitor numbers for the year to date were now at 45,000 thanks in part to increased airlift. “Air capacity has increased big time; Jordan has never been more accessible.”
Wizz Air has just increased its flights from Luton to Amman to four times a week, offering a more low-cost option for a long weekend break to the city.
He admitted geopolitical instability and uncertainty was an issue for the destination, adding that the conflict had caused major challenges for tourism during the last two years. “Everyone in the region will benefit if the situation is calm,” he added.
Al Khudairi was optimistic UK visitor numbers could reach 55,000 to 60,000 for the full year and potentially return to 71,000 by 2027 – the number of UK visitors in 2010 prior to the Arab Spring – depending on geopolitical activity.
The destination is focused on community-led tourism and is in talks with UK operators to urge them to feature more experiences that allow clients to interact with locals as well as gastronomic excursions and eco-friendly accommodation.
Visit Jordan is featuring more than 200 local experiences on its revamped traveljordanian.com website. The platform allows local service providers to manage and confirm bookings for experiences through the site, supported by an AI-powered chatbot.
Experiences include the 640 km Jordan trail from the north of the country to the south, which includes meeting locals along the route.
New accommodation being promoted for trade itineraries include the Yarmouk Ecolodge, scheduled to open in the Unesco Biosphere Reserve early next year in northern Jordan, offering sustainable accommodation and local curated nature trails.
Meawhile, the Jerash Eco-Tourism Village is slated to open in 2027 close to Jerash’s Roman ruins and offering a 55-room eco-hotel, modern visitor centre, restaurants, family-friendly amenities, and eco-park.
