Jordan's tourism industry explores China as new potential source market

With more than 83 million outbound travelers in 2012, China is a great potential tourist market. To support Jordan’s tourism sector in reaching this important market, China was featured at a seminar today organized by the USAID Jordan Tourism Development Project and Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) as part of the Know Your Market series.

In his opening speech, Dr. Abd Al-Razzaq Arabiyat, Managing Director of the Jordan Tourism Board, highlighted the importance of this new market and some of the steps the JTB is already taking to reach it.“The Chinese market has been found to be a very promising source market to Jordan, therefore we have begun hosting familiarization (FAM) trips, press trips, training guides in the Chinese language, and translating our website and distribution materials to Mandarin and traditional Chinese,” he said.

China’s outbound travel market is huge and provides a great opportunity for Jordan’s tourism sector.  China’s expenditure on international travel reached $ 102 billion in 2012 with an increase by 40% from 2011, making it the first tourism source market in the world in terms of spending. In addition, Chinese travelers abroad have grown from 10 million in 2000 to 83 million in 2012 and the number is still on the rise," said Mr. Ibrahim Osta, the USAID tourism project Chief of Party. 

Tour operators, guides and hotels attended the workshop and learned from a Chinese travel professional about the world’s fastest growing outbound travel market – one that is rated first in total expenditure.  The lecturer provided tourism professionals with insights on the Chinese market segments in terms of expectations and preferences, ways to address seasonality, and opportunities for Jordan to attract Chinese tourists in a vastly changing and competitive travel environment. An international marketing and social media expert specialized in the Chinese market also shared advice on how to position Jordan as an international tourism destination in China using the most effective marketing tools and media channels in addition to the key messages that appeal to Chinese travelers.    

Eid Nawafleh, a tour operator based in Petra attended the event. “It’s really useful. The Chinese market is very promising but it’s a different market to any niche market we know in Jordan,” said Nawafleh, adding that “There is a lot of demand from Chinese travelers to come here. This market needs more attention.”

The number of arrivals from China to Jordan reached 12,000 visitors last year, with an increase by 2% compared to the year 2011 and there is a chance to increase this number significantly. Based on the information provided in the seminar, industry professionals in Jordan will be able to design itineraries, execute marketing activities and provide services and experiences that would appeal to Chinese travelers.  

The Know Your Market series aims to help Jordan's tourism industry explore promising markets in order to grow business. The China seminar follows on from two similar seminars which took place last year and focused on the Australian and Brazilian markets.