(MENAFN- Alghad Newspaper)
What the Italian model wrote about her 48-hour visit to Jordan, is indeed scandalous, but it is nothing new to us; the cheating and exploitation.
For as long as I can remember, we have just been ignoring it, until something happens and we're reminded of it, and then we act all surprised and shocked!
What she spoke about isn't an individual, exceptional case, no!
A week or so before, the 'ancient watermelon scandal, at a restaurant in Petra, came out.
Of course, we also were 'all too shocked when we heard about it.
This is just the tip of the iceberg.
If others had the chance to speak up against their exploitation, we'd be standing against dozens of thousands of similar testimonies, worse maybe even.
Most of the foreigner tourists who come here go through the same thing; am I making this up?!
I had previously written about the situation in Petra and other cities, as did many of my colleagues; the deteriorated infrastructure, primitive services, and the neglect.
After we brought this all up to the surface, the Petra authority denied it all and gave senseless, superficial explanations which contradict with everything a Petra visit would witness.
Petra has the worst facilities, which are often closed to the public. Hygiene in minimum, at best.
We discussed this when I spoke about the Turks' visit to Jerusalem, and all the failed efforts by our ambassador there to interest them in visiting Jordan.
They actually advised each other not to go, because of Jordan's lacking services and tourist facilities!
In anyway, all of the above, we discussed, about the infrastructural shortcomings of our tourism sector, especially in the historical cities. What we haven't discussed yet, the culture of the sector; the people operating it, requires a whole lot of research and discussion!
The people running the sector; employees, workers, guides, all of them need intensive professional and cultural rehabilitation. This includes the private sector operating within the industry.
Put all the incidents involving foreign tourists aside.
Let us talking about the incidents which occurred to us, Jordanian tourists.
Many of them are equally scandalous.
One time, we —my family and I— visited Petra, and thought maybe we buy one of those beautiful carpets on display at one of the shops by the gates of the ancient city.
When my wife asked the vendor the price, a young boy said it was for sale to foreigners, not Jordanians, and that it was imported, and not an authentic piece.
He also said it is sold for JOD500!
We asked him why, since it is an import, and he said, we cheat the tourists into paying so much.
So, naturally, we asked why they do that, they said: because they're infidels!
This is just one incident in a million, maybe, which happen at a typical basis in Jordan.
We may be talking about culture, which may not be a core forte of the government, but our culture needs fundamental development, and our workers need training.
This falls within the responsibility of the state; to lay out a strategic plan for the development of the sector's culture and that of the local communities hosting historical sites.
New, more welcoming and ethical values need to be cultivated, not to mention the necessity of monitoring exploitative behaviours!
Without such initiative, we will never advance, neither in terms of infrastructure nor superstructure!
Isn't tourism Jordan's greatest resource? The timeless, invaluable gift superseding all other resources?
Due to its scale, tourism in Jordan has the capacity and prospects to revitalise the economy and society, in ways we have not even begun to understand; apparently!
Still, we fail.
Instead of focusing only on the foreign tourists we're losing, look also to the Jordanian tourists who'd rather spend fortunes abroad; hundreds of millions annually!
Imagine if we were able to provide the same environment, infrastructure, and culture, here, in Jordan?
Domestic tourism would be enough to instigate an all-encompassing structural leap in this vital sector!
If I were in a position to make decisions, I'd turn it all upside down.
I would assign the tourism, education, and labour ministries as sovereign bodies, with an independent capital, instead of the wasted fortunes going down the drain!
This article is an edited translation of the Arabic version, published by AlGhad.
MENAFN2508201700720000ID1095773285