AMMAN // Jordan’s tourism industry, one of its main money-earners, is being killed off by regional conflicts.
A haven of peace surrounded by war, Jordan is turning to contingency measures to try to revive its tourism industry which is suffering because of the raging violence in neighbouring Iraq and Syria.
Tourism in 2014 contributed 14 per cent of the kingdom’s GDP, to the tune of US$4.4 billion (Dh16.16bn), the second highest earner after remittances from expatriates.
But the flow of tourism revenue is becoming a trickle.
“For three days I haven’t had a tourist come in here,” said 30-year-old Mohammed at his souvenir shop in central Amman.
“Things are slowing down, and each year seems to be worse than the last.”
The Hashemite kingdom has no shortage of acclaimed wonders, both natural and man-made.
Its rose-pink rock-hewn city of Petra is one of the seven wonders of the world, and the Roman ruins at Jerash in the north of the country near the border with Syria are among the region’s most impressive.
The desert at Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea have always figured high on the list of the country’s natural attractions.
Until recent years, such sites attracted hundreds of thousands of western tourists.
But now they are devoid of visitors, frightened off by regional unrest in the wake of the 2011 Arab Spring.
The head of the country’s tourism office, Abderrazak Arabyat, has now come up with an emergency plan aimed at raising Jordan’s international profile.
“There’s no magic wand we can wave to fix things in a few weeks,” Mr Al Fayez said.
“But we have put in place an ambitious plan targeting in particular the countries of the Gulf” such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
New markets including Turkey and the Far East will also be approached, among them China, Japan and South Korea, with the hope of seeing positive results “from next year”.
* Agence France-Presse
Getting%20there
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PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
Specs%3A%202024%20McLaren%20Artura%20Spider
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THE SPECS
Engine: six-litre W12 twin-turbo
Transmission: eight-speed dual clutch auto
Power: 626bhp
Torque: 900Nm
Price: Dh940,160 (plus VAT)
On sale: Q1 2020
The specs
Price: From Dh529,000
Engine: 5-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 520hp
Torque: 625Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
Company%20Profile
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RACECARD
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'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
Company%20Profile
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SPECS
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Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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