‘Urdun Jannah’ makes local travel budget-friendly

AMMAN — The “Urdun Jannah” programme has helped Jordanians overcome some of the most significant challenges preventing them from exploring attractions in their country. 

So far, 159,000 Jordanians have participated in Urdun Jannah domestic tourism programme this year, the Jordan News Agency, Petra reported. 

The Ministry of Tourism’s programme encourages domestic tourism by offering participants promotions and subsidised prices at restaurants, hotels and entertainment areas throughout Jordan, according to Petra.

“Jordanians are now giving priority to domestic tourism rather than flying to other destinations in the region to spend their holidays,” Ahlam Serhan, a local tourism guide, told The Jordan Times.  

Tourism professor Nidal Zboun conducted a research project titled “Domestic Tourism in Jordan: Patterns, Challenges and Opportunities”, and found that the main challenges of domestic tourism are related to economic conditions, the availability of services, and socio-cultural factors. 

According to Serhan, one of the most significant challenges facing domestic tourism is the high cost. “Domestic tourism is not affordable for many Jordanians; an average adventure tourism trip costs between JD30 and JD90,” Serhan added. 

“Urdun Jannah helped overcome such challenges by providing cost efficient domestic tours,” said Serhan. 

She stated that having the opportunity to go on subsidised domestic tours encourages Jordanians to explore their country and support local communities. 

“Inbound tourism is a blessing for the economy since millions of dinars can be spent in the country rather than abroad,” Serhan added. 

She stated that promoting domestic tourism encourages the preservation of cultural traditions and handcrafts. 

Mahmoud Khasawneh, head of outbound tourism for the Jordan Society for Travel Agents (JSTA), told The Jordan Times that the majority of Jordanian travellers’ bookings are for seaside destinations in Turkey, followed by Sharm El Sheikh, each of which offers affordable tour packages.

“What we truly need is to attract Jordanian holidaymakers to the beaches of Aqaba and the Dead Sea, provided that hotel prices can be suitable to accommodate them,” Serhan added. 

Zboun added that the local tourism sector has many possible solutions to further boost domestic tourism. 

“Involving the private sector in promotional campaigns for the least known destinations, encouraging investment at small and medium accommodation enterprises with reasonable prices, and increasing the level of awareness in the local community can contribute big time to boosting domestic tourism,” said Zboun. 

Ayah Kilani, a Jordanian citizen, told The Jordan Times that the main obstacles stopping her from domestic tourism are the high costs of commercial accommodation and the concentration of tourism development.

“I truly believe that the Urdun Jannah programme gave the opportunity to many Jordanians to explore the beauty of their country, by providing them with subsidised tours,” Kilani added.