Among these policies are concerts that attract renowned musical bands, famous singers and musicians, artists, intellectuals, and other celebrities, all to entice their citizens and other incoming tourists to stay and spend money domestically. This has been successful as they have chosen heritage tourism sites for these celebrations, thereby promoting the sites and igniting the desire of their citizens and tourists who usually travel for this purpose.
For example, Saudis spent about 110.42 billion riyals (approximately 29.45 billion dollars) on tourism and travel in 2025, a huge amount.
Finally, Jordan followed this tourism policy while its tourist sites like Petra, Aqaba, and the Dead Sea are experiencing stagnation, causing significant losses for hotels and tourist establishments, many of which have closed and laid off hundreds of employees.
This policy has faced two positions: the first is supportive because it encourages domestic and international tourism and revives the hopes of tourist establishments that found it a lifeline. The second is opposed, with several motives that we do not want to delve into.
However, the most important question is whether these opponents would accept the closure of tourist establishments, increased unemployment, and depriving thousands of young men and women of a source of income, while what matters to them is that these concerts are not held for any reason in their own interests.
A famous singer ignited stagnant activity in Aqaba for a week before, during, and after the concert, filling hotels and busying restaurants. If such a concert can save Aqaba from tourism ruin, we would need one weekly.
Paradoxically, Jordanians and residents' spending on outbound tourism amounts to about 1.1 to 1.15 billion dollars during the first seven months of 2026.
The financial balance between incoming and outgoing tourism requires Jordan to receive at least three times the number of Jordanian tourists going abroad, as all Jordanian tourist expenditures abroad represent a hemorrhage of financial resources, while only a third of incoming tourism receipts represent added value, and the rest are imported materials, with the added value not exceeding 35% of total receipts.
On the contrary, institutions and hotels wishing to host such celebrations should be given financial incentives.
Those leading the criticism of such concerts focus on ticket prices to attack them, the color of clothing, the singer's attire and gestures, while they diminish the tourism value and financial return of these concerts.
This is an odious selectivity, even so-called Jordanian scientists have issued an anonymous statement that suits these people, and verification and confirmation of what they say.
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone has no future and cannot attract Arab and foreign tourism without holding celebrations and more facilities in the context of the required tourism diversity.
If we want to be a tourist country, we must provide the components of tourism in our country, and if some want to close this country's doors, that is their business.
