Business Editor
Jordan Daily - Jordan should undertake a comprehensive overhaul of its tourism sector and stop tying its fortunes to regional instability, economic and tourism development strategist Nedal Malo Alein said on Monday.
Malo Alein argued, in an opinion article, seen by Jordan Daily that Jordan's tourism industry has repeatedly blamed regional political and security crises for downturns in visitor numbers, only to return to business as usual once conditions improve, without building safeguards against future shocks.
He called for a "factory reset" of the country's tourism ecosystem, citing overlapping mandates among government bodies and fragmented industry representation as obstacles to long-term resilience.
A key strategic mistake, he said, has been marketing Jordan as part of a broader Middle East tourism package, which causes the country to suffer whenever international travelers perceive the region as unstable.
Instead, Jordan should promote itself as an independent destination and a regional hub of safety and stability, leveraging its longstanding role as a refuge for diplomats, foreign nationals and international organizations during regional crises.
Malo Alein also urged policymakers to rethink tourism marketing, arguing that cultural events, concerts and promotional campaigns alone do not constitute a coherent global tourism strategy.
He called for a national branding approach centered on a clear tourism identity, digital transformation, technological modernization and data-driven planning.
Jordan's tourism sector, he said, must shift from reacting to crises to anticipating them, building a resilient and institutionally driven model capable of withstanding future regional disruptions.
