Jordan engineers its measures to attract more Russian and Chinese tourists
Amman7 min read
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Jordan is proceeding with engineering its measures and tools to attract more Russian and Chinese tourists by creating a more attractive and competitive tourism environment, developing services and infrastructure, and enhancing promotion and communication with partners. This is part of a vision aimed at diversifying the markets exporting tourists to the Kingdom, expanding the visitor base, and consolidating Jordan's position as a global tourism destination capable of attracting new segments of tourists, which will positively reflect on the growth of the tourism sector and its role in supporting the national economy.
These measures come within the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities to expand Jordan's presence in global tourism markets and transform new facilities and procedures—including the development of tourism services directed at the Chinese market, visa exemptions, and the enhancement of air connectivity and tourism, media, and religious cooperation in the Russian market—into practical opportunities to increase tourist numbers and develop joint tourism programs, thereby supporting the diversification of tourist-exporting markets and enhancing the competitiveness of the Jordanian tourism sector and its contribution to the economy.
Regarding the Chinese market, the visit of His Majesty King Abdullah II to the Trip.com Group in Shanghai last August represented an important opportunity to strengthen the presence of Jordanian tourism in the Chinese market and benefit from the promising opportunities it offers. The visit also embodied the continuous royal interest in developing the tourism sector, enhancing its role in the economy, and consolidating the Kingdom's position as a global tourism destination by expanding the scope of target markets and building partnerships with major international tourism platforms.
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Dr. Makram Al-Qaisi (Dr. Emad Hijazeen) stated that His Majesty the King's visit to China contributed to opening broader horizons for introducing the Jordanian tourism product and entering the Chinese market, noting the importance of building on this momentum by enhancing direct communication with the Chinese side and developing joint work programs that support tourism cooperation and increase opportunities for attracting visitors.
In previous press statements, he indicated that Jordan is working to develop its tourism environment to attract more tourists by improving tourism services, enhancing the promotion of the Jordanian tourism product, facilitating the use of electronic payment methods, and providing food and guidance services appropriate to their needs.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities is working to enhance the readiness of tourism sites to receive Chinese visitors by installing signage in Chinese, adding the Chinese language to the Jordan Tourism Board's website, as well as appointing a representative for the Board in the Chinese market and expanding communication with Chinese tourism companies and platforms, which enhances Jordan's presence in this market and expands the reach to Chinese travelers.
The Kingdom currently includes 25 licensed tour guides who speak Chinese, while work is underway to increase the number to 50 by attracting university graduates and specialists in the Chinese language and training them, in parallel with qualifying staff in hotels, restaurants, and various tourism facilities to deal with the Chinese tourist, understand their preferences, and respect their customs and traditions, which contributes to improving their tourism experience in the Kingdom.
Regarding the enhancement of tourism with the Russian side, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities intensified its promotional efforts by holding a tourism evening in the Russian capital, Moscow, last September, with the participation of representatives from the tourism and media sectors, clergy, influencers, and investors, with the aim of introducing the Jordanian tourism product, enhancing direct communication with Russian partners, and discussing opportunities for developing cooperation and joint tourism programs.
The evening highlighted the opportunities available for Russian tourism to the Kingdom, in light of the entry into force of the mutual visa exemption agreement, which allows Russian citizens to visit Jordan without a prior visa, in accordance with the provisions of the agreement and for a period of up to 30 days per visit, which facilitates tourist movement and enhances the Kingdom's competitiveness as a tourism destination.
The Ministry presented developments in air connectivity between the two countries, including direct flights between Moscow and Amman, and the intention to announce the operation of a direct line between Moscow and Aqaba, which opens new horizons for beach, leisure, and family tourism and allows Russian travel and tourism companies to develop diverse tourism programs to the Kingdom.
Promotional efforts included highlighting Jordan's competitive advantages, primarily the short distance between the Kingdom's governorates, ease of access, moderate weather, and the diversity of tourism experiences that a tourist can combine in one trip, starting from cultural and historical tourism in Petra and Jerash and religious tourism, to the Dead Sea, Aqaba, and Wadi Rum, in addition to medical, wellness, and adventure tourism and nature, which allows for the design of tourism programs that meet the interests of different segments of the Russian market.
Religious tourism and Christian pilgrimage formed a key focus in efforts to enhance cooperation with the Russian side. Minister Hijazeen recently discussed with the Deputy Patriarch of Russia and the official for foreign relations, Metropolitan Anthony, the prospects for cooperation between the two countries and the importance of the participation of Russian churches in the celebration commemorating the second millennium of the baptism of Jesus Christ in 2030, especially since the Russian presence at the Baptism Site has deep roots through the Russian Church and the Russian Pilgrim House at the site.
For his part, Professor of Tourism and Hospitality Management at Yarmouk University, Dr. Hakam Shatnawi, said that the Russian and Chinese markets represent an important strategic opportunity for the growth of Jordanian tourism over the coming years, especially in light of the need to diversify markets and restore tourism activity in the Kingdom. He emphasized that Jordan possesses tourism components that suit the interests of both markets, as a wide sector of Russian tourists prefers beach tourism and recreation, which provides opportunities for Aqaba and the Dead Sea.
He explained that the Chinese market is characterized by the interest of important segments in cultural and heritage tourism and photographing historical landmarks and distinctive natural and cultural scenes, which gives the Kingdom promising opportunities to market Petra, Jerash, and Wadi Rum through tourism paths that combine cultural experience, photography, and interaction with local communities.
Shatnawi emphasized the importance of developing specialized tourism programs for each market, enhancing air connectivity, attracting low-cost airlines, strengthening guidance services in both Russian and Chinese in tourist places, and building partnerships with tour operators in both countries.
In turn, tourism sector investor Osama Abu Talib said that Aqaba constitutes a promising destination for Russian tourists, especially during the winter, with the possibility of linking it to Wadi Rum, Petra, and the Dead Sea, while the Chinese market offers opportunities to enhance cultural, historical, and natural tourism through integrated programs that meet the interests of tourists.
He pointed to the pivotal role of the private sector in building partnerships that bring together tourism companies, hotels, airlines, and tour operators, developing integrated tourism packages at competitive prices, and participating in promotional campaigns and familiarization trips, in addition to preparing services to suit the needs of tourists and their cultural and linguistic requirements.
Abu Talib emphasized the importance of enhancing air connectivity and marketing through digital platforms, in parallel with measuring the results of promotional campaigns according to indicators that include tourist numbers, bookings, length of stay, and tourism spending, which contributes to evaluating the effectiveness of efforts, enhancing the economic return from them, and building sustainable tourism demand from the Chinese and Russian markets.
