Getting tourism development right
The Jordan Tourism Development Project, Siyaha, a three-year (2005-2008) USAID funded project that aims to assist the country in the implementation of its National Tourism Strategy (NTS 2004-2010) has galvanized the tourism industry in the country.
Recognizing the power of tourism to contribute to its economic growth, the country has put tourism high on its agenda. According to tnnworlwide.com, Siyaha’s chief of party, Ibrahim Usta, said the overall goal of this project is to promote Jordan’s competitiveness as an international tourism destination by establishing the proper institutional and regulatory framework that enables private-sector driven investment and development, and stimulates tourism growth while preserving national tourism assets and the overall environment.
One of the focus areas is the Madaba Tourism Development Strategy to develop Madaba into an internationally recognized hub for religious and authentic cultural tourism. The aim is to create 4,200 tourism-supported jobs in Madaba and across Jordan, generate 27,800 bed nights in Madaba hotels and other lodging facilities, and increase tourism spending in Madaba to JD21 million ($29.6 million) annually.
In October 2006, Siyaha launched a eco-tourism development programme to develop authentic desert and Bedouin experiences by improving tourism services and creating new products provided by tourism-oriented community-based organizations (CBOs). The launch saw the official signing of a $1 million project, including USAID grant agreements amounting to almost half a million dollars awarded to five CBOs in Wadi Rum. This will be used to create authentic new tourism experiences and improve existing ones.
Future projects include helping the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to design brochures for key sites so tourists can appreciate their value and significance; and working on a tourism strategy and action plan for Amman city. Siyaha is also preparing a business plan to transform Wadi Rum’s Bedouin Fort into a museum that becomes an attraction in itself, offering visitors an insight into the history of the area and the unique culture of the Bedouin living in the Wadi Rum area.
Chitra Mogul
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