Arab tourists offset drop in Western visitors to Jordan

WHILE VISITOR NUMBERS HELD STEADY, SPENDING PATTERNS HAVE SHIFTED

- BY DHANUSHA GOKULAN

Jordan’s tourism sector has recorded a strong start in 2024, with 2.7 million international overnight visitors in the first half of the year — the highest ever — despite challenges from ongoing regional conflicts.

The director-general of the Jordan Tourism Board, Dr Abdul Razzaq Arabiyat, attributed the growth to a 25 per cent increase in tourists from the GCC and Arab countries, which offset a decline in Western visitors due to the war in Gaza and tensions between Israel and Iran.

Impacts of Mideast conflicts