Jordan's tourism industry hone social media skills

In keeping up with recent global travel trends, Jordan's tourism industry is making further efforts to enhance its social media presence in order to ensure the country is well-positioned on the global tourism map. A further training series is being implemented for tourism businesses to help improve their capacity to use social media to boost marketing and sales of tourism products and services. The series began on Wednesday in Aqaba and Wadi Rum for participants from campsites, hotels and other lodging facilities. It continues this week in Petra. The workshops are organized by the USAID Jordan Tourism Development Project in partnership with Petra Development Tourism Region Authority (PDTRA), Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) and Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA).

 “We encourage the tourism sector to focus on social media networks in marketing the products and services they provide in order to reach the largest number possible of tourists. Effective marketing through such channels can also help increase length of stay and encourage repeat visits by making visitors aware of tourist sites or unique experiences they may have missed in Jordan, and to give a positive image of the country and the warm hospitality of its people," said H.E. Nayef Al Fayez, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.

"The increasing shift of international travelers towards social media is a great opportunity for Jordan; the industry can benefit from a variety of tools and channels to market Jordan as a destination and promote specific services and products. Through social media you can reach large audiences directly and cost-effectively, and now is the time to start using it," said Mr. Ibrahim Osta, USAID tourism Project Chief of Party. The USAID tourism project is implementing this initiative to help Jordan's tourism industry get the best out of these platforms by equipping them with the skills to develop engaging and appealing content that will turn users into visitors, who in turn will then share information about their experiences in Jordan.     

"It's a great opportunity to participate in this workshop. We are learning how to be more interactive and how to better engage people through videos and photos, and we'll be implementing this soon in addition to updating our website," said Rebekah Cleamons, Marketing Coordinator from Rami Tours in Petra.

"This workshop is important as it will help us expand our market, as we're currently working on one particular market which is Netherlands," said Qais Al Awadat, Reservation Officer at Petra Panorama Hotel.

An international expert in travel and social media marketing conducted the training, providing participants with knowledge and expertise pertaining to destination marketing through social media, content development and getting into the social media mindset. Field training was also conducted, and participants were equipped with skills to capture images and videos that drive engagement, in addition to interactive testimonials and feedback from travelers.

Travelers worldwide are becoming keener on using social media networks and smart phone applications to research and book their trips. They are also increasingly blogging about their travels, as well as posting their experiences on social media networks and writing comments, reviews and recommendations for other potential travelers. It is estimated that 38% of US travelers use social networks while travelling, while the figure for non-US travelers is estimated at 64%.

Next month, this training series will continue in Amman to develop social media skills among a broader range of Jordan’s tourism industry. The Amman workshop will target tour operators, hoteliers, tourism service providers and destination management companies.