Mobile Licensing Service in Barqash Municipality, Irbid Starting Tomorrow - Jordan News
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Roya News
2 hours ago
- Roya News
Petra: 5,000 employees affected by the decline in tourism
Petra Hotels Association President Abdullah al-Hasanat estimated that around 5,000 employees across various tourism sectors have been affected by the decline in tourism in Petra. Petra hotels alone have laid off around 700 employees due to the sharp decline in occupancy. Al-Hasanat said that all workers in the tourism sector have been negatively affected by the decline in tourism, with some losing their jobs or seeing their incomes slashed by more than half. Al-Hasanat added that approximately 32 of Petra's 90 tourist hotels have completely closed their doors, while the remaining hotels are operating partially and in accordance with available tourist activity. Occupancy rates range between 1-5% under the best of circumstances. Al-Hasanat called on the government to take further measures to accelerate the recovery of tourism, such as accelerating the attraction of low-cost airlines. He called for further support for Petra's tourism sector to enable it to continue, including direct financial support, interest-free loan deferrals until tourism activity improves, and tax exemptions. The Petra region has been suffering from a sharp decline in visitor numbers for nearly a year and ten months, due to the surrounding political circumstances, most notably the repercussions of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. The number of foreign visitors to the city declined by more than 70% last year, according to official figures from the Petra Region. The tourism downturn has cast a dark shadow over the city's various economic sectors. الوسوم نسخ الرابط تم نسخ الرابط
Roya News
7 hours ago
- Roya News
A sharp decline in tourism in Petra… Al-Buraizat: Hotels closed and hundreds of employees laid off from tourism facilities.
The Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Petra Development and Tourism Authority, Fares Al-Braizat, stated that the state of tourism in Petra is 'very poor,' explaining that more than 32 hotels in the city are closed, comprising over 2,000 hotel rooms. Al-Braizat added, in a statement to 'Sawt Al-Mamlaka' on Monday evening, that all popular hotels, which number more than 200 rooms, are also closed. He revealed that nearly 700 employees were laid off from Petra hotels due to the decline in visitor numbers, emphasizing that the majority of the city's residents rely on tourism as their primary source of income. He confirmed that a lack of funding has led to the suspension of most capital projects in Petra for the current fiscal year. Furthermore, Al-Braizat indicated that the conflict in Gaza has significantly impacted incoming tourism, noting that 87% of Petra's visitors in 2023 were foreigners. He warned that marketing efforts in Europe and other regions would be ineffective amid regional tensions. Regarding nationalities that visit most, he clarified that Russians rank second after Americans in visiting Petra this year, followed by the French, then Italians, British, and Spaniards, stressing the importance of diversifying targeted global tourism markets to compensate for the current downturn. Hotel occupancy rates are only at 5%. For his part, the Vice President of the Jordanian Hotels Association, Hussein Hilalat, mentioned that the Ministry of Tourism's claims of growth in the sector 'have not manifested at all in reality,' asserting that Madaba, Petra, and Wadi Rum are the most affected areas by the decline in tourism activity. He noted that the Ministry of Tourism had promised the return of low-cost flights in October, but low bookings might prevent this from happening. He pointed out that there are countries suffering from regional repercussions, like Egypt, but they still receive tourists, indicating that an alternative plan is needed to rescue the tourism sector. Hilalat confirmed that hotel prices in Petra are very low, but demand is almost nonexistent, mentioning that the hotel occupancy rate does not exceed 5% in the first half of the current year, a figure which he described as alarming. The situation in Petra is 'very poor.' In turn, the President of the Petra Hotels Association, Abdullah Al-Hasanat, described the situation in Petra as 'very poor,' explaining that communication with the Ministry of Tourism has reached a 'dead end,' despite the worsening crisis. He criticized the 'Jordan Our Paradise' program, arguing that allocating 20,000 visitors to Petra over just five days is not a sustainable solution for operating hotel establishments. He noted that more than 700 employees were recently laid off from Petra hotels, indicating that the conditions for hotels are 'very difficult,' and that 91 hotels in the city are mostly owned by local residents, which increases the local harm. Tourism is a victim of regional tensions. The Chairman of the Economic and Investment Committee in Parliament, Khaled Abu Hassan, confirmed that Petra is the primary tourist destination in Jordan, but today it is among the most affected areas by the repercussions of regional conditions. He pointed out that the Ministry of Tourism acknowledges the existence of a 'real problem' in the city, emphasizing that the cessation of low-cost flights due to regional tensions has played a key role in diminishing tourism movement. He indicated that the Israeli-Iranian conflict, which coincided with the start of the tourist season, has significantly affected the tourism sector this year. الوسوم نسخ الرابط تم نسخ الرابط
Roya News
16 hours ago
- Roya News
Jordan to announce major cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday
Jordan's Prime Minister's Office announced Tuesday that a significant cabinet reshuffle will take place on Wednesday, the first since Jafar Hassan was appointed prime minister. In a statement to the Jordan News Agency (Petra), the office said the reshuffle will be wide in scope, affecting nearly one-third of the ministerial team and half of the modernization team. According to the Prime Minister's Office, the changes aim to bring in new talent to build on what has been achieved and to match the pace required for implementing key modernization projects, foremost among them, the Economic Modernization Vision.
