Jordan Pass a hit with tourists as sales soared in 2019 — ministry

AMMAN — More than 247,000 Jordan Pass tickets were sold in 2019, marking a significant 98-per cent increase compared with 2018, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.

The unified tourism ticket, Jordan Pass, grants tourists prepaid entry to over 40 attractions in Jordan, including UNESCO World Heritage sites, museums, castles and more.

Offered in three categories — the Jordan Wanderer at JD70 per ticket, the Jordan Explorer at JD75 and the Jordan Expert at JD80 — the pass provides itineraries based on tourist preferences. 

All three packages exempt pass-holding tourists from tourist entry visa fees on the condition that they purchase the pass before their arrival to Jordan and plan to stay in the Kingdom for a minimum of three nights.

The ministry stated that the number of pass sales amounted to more than JD18 million during 2019, with 247,400 tickets sold, compared with JD9.1 million in 2018, with 122,700 tickets sold.

“The jump in sales is attributed to the high number of visitors to the Kingdom as a result of continuing marketing and promotion operations for the Kingdom,” the ministry said in a statement.

Jordan has seen a 9-per cent rise in the total number of visitors during the past year, with total numbers reaching 5.36 million in 2019 compared with 4.9 million in 2018.

Describing the Jordan Pass as “an outstanding way to explore the Kingdom”, the ministry added that it is “the ultimate sightseeing package that has been especially tailor-made for visitors to the beautiful Kingdom of Jordan”.

The unified ticket system was introduced in the last quarter of 2015 with the aim of improving tourism activity, motivating tourists and visitors to visit significant archaeological sites, extending the duration of tourists’ stay and increasing sector income. 

“The unified ticket has contributed to an increase in the number of tourists coming to the Kingdom by working as a tool to promote the ease of visiting tourism and archeological sites in the Kingdom. It gives pass holders the ability to make the most out of their trips while saving time, money and effort,” the statement read.

The ministry noted that the Kingdom is the first country in the Arab world to implement the unified ticket system.

“The most important characteristic of this project is its electronic marketing using an advanced sale system, as well as using a specialised website on which the ticket-buying process is easily done through smartphone applications,” said the ministry.

The number of overnight tourists rose to 4.5 million tourists during 2019, an increase of 8.1 per cent compared with 2018, in which the recorded number of overnight tourists reached 4.15 million tourists.