Number of Gulf tourists rises by 16% in Eid holiday

AMMAN — The number of tourists from Arab Gulf countries increased by 16 per cent during the Eid Al Fitr holiday compared to the same period last year, the Tourism Ministry said in a statement released Monday.

A total of 55,000 tourists from Gulf Cooperation Council countries entered the Kingdom during Eid, the Muslim feast marking the end of Ramadan.

The highest number of visitors came from Saudi Arabia, followed by Kuwait, the statement quoted Tourism Minister Nidal Katamine as saying.

He noted that 43,656 visitors came from Saudi Arabia and 6,000 from Kuwait, adding that tourists from the Gulf constituted 17 per cent of the total number of visitors to the Kingdom this Eid.

Katamine attributed the increase in the number of Gulf tourists to the government’s interest in the Gulf market and efforts to promote Jordan as a tourist destination, in addition to the security and stability the Kingdom enjoys.

He cited measures taken by the Jordan Tourism Board to promote tourism in Jordan, including carrying out marketing campaigns in main Gulf cities.

The minister said tourists from the Arab Gulf prefer resorts and cities with fair temperatures, stressing the importance of tourism in supporting the national economy.

The tourism sector contributes around 14 per cent to the Kingdom’s income and provides over 42,000 direct and 120,000 indirect job opportunities, according to official figures.