Travel Advisor Call to Action: Jordan’s World-Class Tourism Product Needs Your Help

Yesterday, I toured Jerash, one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in the world. Its colonnaded streets, Roman-era plazas, and even older Greek ruins date back more than 2,000 years. Walking through history like that is always humbling, but this time I couldn’t shake what our guides were telling us about tourism in Jordan today.

Official government numbers say tourism is “only down 35%.” But those numbers include transit passengers and Jordanians returning home from abroad, not just leisure travellers. On the ground, the reality is far more stark. Our guide estimated that international tourism is down closer to 90%.

The impact is severe. In the last two years, Jordan’s tourism sector has lost more than 70,000 jobs — on top of the losses during COVID. Many operators and guides had just started to recover before the latest regional conflicts slowed visitor numbers again.

Nowhere was this more visible than in Petra. Two years ago, the site would welcome 3,000 to 5,000 visitors a day at this time of year. Today, it’s only a few hundred. Great for crowd-free photos but devastating for the local economy.

An early morning visit to Petra, where tourists have dwindled due to the war in Gaza.

And yet, Jordan is open, ready, and safe. In fact, I have felt completely secure the entire time I’ve been here. Jordan is a welcoming, peaceful country, a true melting pot that has opened its borders to refugees again and again, and where diverse religions and cultures coexist with remarkable harmony.

The global industry is taking notice. This year, the 3rd Annual GX World Community Tourism Conference is being held in Jordan in celebration of World Tourism Day. The event is designed to highlight the country’s extraordinary tourism offerings and help reignite international demand. It’s a major vote of confidence and a clear signal that Jordan is not just open for business, it’s ready to be showcased on the world stage.

For travel advisors, this is a call to action. Jordan needs tourism to recover. The experiences here Jerash, Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea are world-class. The infrastructure is in place. And with fewer visitors right now, your clients will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience these sites without the usual crowds.

If you’ve ever considered adding Jordan to your portfolio, now is the time to talk to your clients about it. It’s good for their bucket lists and vital for the thousands of Jordanians whose livelihoods depend on tourism.