Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Discusses Ways to Overcome Challenges and Enhance Sector Competitiveness with Tourism Associations

The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Dr. Emad Hijazeen, held a series of separate meetings with the heads, members, and representatives of tourism associations. The discussions focused on mechanisms to strengthen the tourism sector's ability to cope with challenges resulting from the repercussions of the war in Gaza and its regional effects, ensuring the sustainability of businesses and elevating Jordan's competitiveness on the global tourism map.

As part of this series of separate meetings, Minister Hijazeen met at the Ministry's headquarters with Mr. Essam Fakhr Al-Deen, Chairman of the Board of the Jordanian Restaurants Association, its General Manager, Ms. Eliana Ja'neini, and other members of the association.

During the meetings, Minister Hijazeen emphasized the importance of establishing a joint working mechanism with the tourism associations to address issues and challenges. He also highlighted the need to prepare a comprehensive action matrix to implement both short- and long-term solutions, giving priority to the most affected tourism areas, especially in the Golden Triangle.

The Minister explained that the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities will align its plans and programs with the Executive Program for the Economic Modernization Vision (2026-2028), which will be announced soon. This will be accompanied by a strategic plan in 2025 to define the directions and priorities for work in targeted tourism markets and to develop tourism products and services to keep pace with developments and enhance Jordan's appeal as a global tourist destination, with a focus on both traditional and new markets and the diversification of tourist experiences.

For their part, the heads and members of the associations confirmed their keenness to enhance continuous cooperation and coordination with the Ministry to address the challenges facing their sectors. They expressed their appreciation for the Ministry's commitment to ongoing dialogue, the exchange of ideas, and the creation of initiatives that support businesses in facing current circumstances. They also stressed the importance of developing products and diversifying markets to ensure the sector's sustainability and enhance Jordan's appeal as a distinguished tourist destination.