Tourism strategy being updated for next five years

The first meeting of the Tourism Competitiveness Team (TCT), which is tasked with updating the National Tourism Strategy (NTS), took place in June 2009 chaired by the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, H.E. Mrs. Maha Al Khatib. This inaugural meeting initiated the updating of the strategy and the development of specific action plans for the next 5 years. The NTS is being updated in order to guide development of Jordan’s tourism sector by creating a complete tourist experience rather than just providing products and services, so that Jordan can compete globally. The strategy will set targets that aim to raise the quality of service and diversify the products and facilities offered to meet international requirements and increase the number of international visitors. The TCT was launched by the MoTA minister and it is made up of representatives from both the private and public sectors, and chaired by the minister. As well as updating the NTS, the initiative seeks to weave in the World Economic Forum (WEF) tourism competitiveness criteria as a tool to support the monitoring and evaluation of strategy implementation efforts. The TCT includes representatives from ASEZA, Department of Antiquities, Jordan Tourism Board, industry members, as well as the USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project II, which is supporting this initiative. The USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project II is supporting this initiative by facilitating the update process and providing technical expertise and coordination support.