(MENAFN- Jordan Times) The largest industry in the world today is not extracting, refining and selling petroleum. Nor is it the manufacturing and trading weapons. The largest international industry these days is tourism, which involves the expenditure and receipts of hundreds of billions of dollars a year.
In 1950, the volume of world tourism was limited. It was measured in tens of millions of tourists. It now rose to almost 700 million tourists a year.
What is Jordan's share as a tourist destination? The Ministry of Tourism claims that the tourism sector contributes around 14 per cent of Jordan's gross domestic product. It must be talking about the gross tourism receipts. However the value added, which is the real contribution to GDP, is still relatively low, hardly exceeding 4 per cent of the GDP.
In fact, the contribution of hotels and restaurants, a major component of the tourism sector, does not exceed 1.4 per cent of the GDP, even though part of their business does not involve solely incoming tourists.
When Jordanian officials try to plan promotion of tourism, they hardly mention tourism for recreation and pleasure, simply because the Jordanian society is not yet ready to accommodate this kind of tourism, due to traditions; so much so, that an artistic and cultural occasion like Jerash Festival raises loud objections.
The efforts, under the present circumstances, must continue to be directed to functional tourism: international and regional conferences, higher education, medical, training courses and religious.
In promoting tourism, publicity is extremely important. We should be able to reach the bulk of the world's potential tourists, but advertisements are the most costly and less productive instrument.
In view of the meagre resources allocated for promotion, the ministry needs to invite major travel agents in tourism originating countries and journalists specialised in the field. They may be the best instruments for sending the message.
Promoting tourism is not the responsibility of the Ministry of Tourism alone. Others, like national and foreign airlines serving Jordan, the hotels association, tourist transport companies, private hospitals and other tourism-related industries and professions should share financially and otherwise in this endeavour.
The economic side of tourism is extremely important. This active sector generates many good jobs, supports economic growth and earns much foreign exchange. But the benefits of tourism do not stop there.
Tourism means promoting the country as a whole, both politically and culturally. Through tourism we can gain friends sympathetic to our country and our issues.
Those who have a good time in Jordan, earn their degrees from our institutions of higher education, attend a training course in the Kingdom, have successful surgeries in our hospitals or pass through our country on their way to pilgrimage will go back home with positive impressions and will, most likely, come back or tell their relatives and friends to visit Jordan, a friendly country.
The role of the government is not confined to allocating funds for promotion. It goes further, to the taxation policy, providing incentives to encourage incoming tourism and discourage unnecessary outgoing tourism.
The tourism sector registered a 25 per cent growth rate during the first half of this year. It is leading the economic growth out of the current recession.
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