Tourist numbers ‘exceeded expectations’ reaching 2.36m in 2021 — ministry

AMMAN — A total of 2,358,676 tourists visited the Kingdom in 2021, marking an increase of 90.2 per cent compared to 2020 when Jordan welcomed 1,239,910 tourists, the Tourism Ministry announced on Monday.

The ministry said that the figure exceeded expectations for 2021, which indicated that some 1.9 million would visit Jordan last year, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The monthly report of the ministry showed that overnight tourists in 2021 totalled 2,011,639, 88.5 per cent higher than 2020 that witnessed 1,067,166 tourists.

One-day visitors in 2021 increased by 100.9 per cent to 374,037 tourists compared with 2020 when the Kingdom welcomed 172,745 tourists, the ministry said, noting that Petra visitors totalled 216,820 and Madaba received 57,007 tourists.

The report also showed increases in the number of visitors to several tourist and archaeological sites when compared with 2020, where Karak welcomed 62,422 tourists (up by 272.4 per cent), Ajloun 137,016 tourists (up by 144.9 per cent), Wadi Rum 194,236 tourists (up by 79.9 per cent).

The Baptism Ste also witnessed an increase of 32.6 per cent to 45,798 tourists, Jerash by 27.9 per cent to 104,550 tourists, and Mount Nebo visitors increased by 3.6 per cent to 119,603 tourists. 

Meanwhile, the tourism revenues in 2021 rose by 90 per cent to some JD1.9 billion (around $2.7 billion) compared with 2020 according to statistics by the Central Bank of Jordan (CBJ), the statement added.