STORY: Prolonged Gaza crisis undermines Jordan's tourism sector
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 31, 2023
DATELINE: Jan. 1, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:52
LOCATION: Amman
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of visitors in the Amman Citadel
2. various of Saba Ajlouni working in her office
3. SOUNDBITE (English): SABA AJLOUNI, Operations manager at a tourism company in Amman

STORYLINE:

The prolonged deadly conflict in the Gaza Strip has negatively impacted Jordan's tourism sector and cast a shadow on the country's economy, said industry insiders.

A recent report by the World Bank on Jordan's economy indicated that the eruption of the conflict in the Middle East and the concerns over its prolongation or escalation carries high risks for the kingdom's economy, which is expected to grow by 2.6 percent in 2023 and slightly decline to 2.5 percent in 2024.

Even in the case of a contained conflict, neighboring countries may still be perceived as a risky destination. This could have implications for Jordan's external accounts, given that the significant recovery of travel receipts since 2021 was key in supporting the current account, the report said.

Saba Ajlouni, operations manager at a tourism company in the capital Amman, told Xinhua that they have already received many cancellations.

SOUNDBITE (English): SABA AJLOUNI, Operations manager at a tourism company in Amman
"Of course, the conflict in Gaza has a negative impact on the Jordan tourism sector. This time of the year is usually a good season for tourism in Jordan, but unfortunately, many cancellations have been received. We have a significant drop in hotel occupancy. We have reported a 50 percent decline in hotel reservations according to the tourism minister. However, we do not expect long-term impacts of the war on the tourism sector."

Early reports from tourism agencies point to a 50-75 percent drop in hotel occupancy and reservations in the two months following the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict on Oct. 7, the World Bank said.

The restaurant and hotels sector, while remaining a small sector in the gross domestic product, contributing 1.5 percent, is closely correlated with other important sectors in the Jordanian economy, notably wholesale and retail trade, transport, and construction, it added.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Amman.
(XHTV)