Amman – Yesterday more than 70 Jordanian tour guides graduated from the Jordan Applied University (JAU) following a 6-month training course in specialized tour guide topics. The training was implemented through a grant from the USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project as part of an effort to improve the quality of tour guiding services in Jordan and increase the number of guides. The event and was attended by the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, H.E. Ms. Maha Al Khatib, H.E. Mr. Farouk Haddidi, Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) Secretary General of Ministry of Antiquities and USAID Mission Director Mr. Jay Knott. 

The course and resulting graduation ceremony was held through a partnership between MoTA and Jordan Hospitality and Tourism Education Company (JHTEC), of which the JAU is part of, and with support from the USAID Tourism Project. As part of the training course, participating guides studied topics such as guiding techniques, principles of tourism and tourism in Jordan, classical period, Byzantines ages, modern history of Jordan, Islamic ages, eco tourism, infield training and selected topics on Jordanian society.

Congratulating the graduates, H.E. Ms. Al Khatib said, ““Tour guides are not only ambassadors of Jordan but also citizens who preserve the heritage, culture and civilization of Jordan.”

“Today we are celebrating the graduation of a selected group of individuals who pledged loyalty to their country and will work hard to promote Jordan as an attractive tourist destination,” said Ms. Rula Rihani, Assistant Dead at JAU. “The cooperation between JHTEC, JAU, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the USAID Tourism Project has produced tangible results in these programs. The continuation of this cooperation will produce more and better results in the future.”

“The development of tourism education in Jordan is vital to meeting growing market demands.  Specialized programs and learning facilities are badly needed to train tourism industry professionals,” said Mr. Knott from USAID.

A tourist’s most extensive contact in the country they are visiting is usually with their tour guide, and therefore the impression that the guide makes on visitors is very important. The information that a guide relays to tourists and the way that this is done contributes significantly to the overall tourist experience. This guiding course thus aimed to enhance the skills of Jordanian guides and contribute towards a better service for tourists.

Within the past year the USAID Tourism Project awarded two grants to JHTEC, totaling over $100,000. These funded the tour guide training at JAU as well as the purchase of around 250 books specialized is subjects related to tour guiding in Jordan. The books were officially presented to the JAU library last week. The grants came as part of the USAID Project’s work to support the development of tourism services and enhance the skills of human resources working in the tourism sector. Both grants supported 73 tour guides who are specialized in a range of languages, including Russian, Greek, French, Spanish, Bosnian, Hungarian, Chinese and Korean.

Licensing procedures for tour guides require that guides pass their final exams with a minimum score of 75% in their theoretical and practical assessments. All results are sent to MoTA where a committee comprising representatives from different tourism sectors approve the results, after which the tour guide badge is awarded.