His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday said tourism sector growth calls for bolstering public-private cooperation to enhance Jordan’s competitiveness as a popular destination in the region.

In remarks while attending part of a meeting at Al Husseiniya Palace that brought together Prime Minister Omar Razzaz and Tourism Minister Majd Shweikeh with sector representatives, King Abdullah called for focusing on tourism priorities around Jordan, stressing that there will be focus on the south in the coming months, followed by the north, to enhance tourism services.

His Majesty urged efforts towards teamwork and training youth to provide quality tourism services and reduce unemployment, noting the need to attract tourism investments and support youth-led projects in the sector.

For his part, Prime Minister Razzaz stressed the importance of public-private cooperation to boost tourism, highlighting the need to train youth to capitalise on opportunities in the sector and expressing the government’s readiness to support tourism.

Minister Shweikeh said tourism is a key economic growth engine, underscoring the importance of working with the private sector to build on progress, ensure sustainability, and empower local communities.

For their part, sector representatives outlined the priorities for enhancing tourism, calling for youth training in relevant jobs, and urging a long-term plan to ensure legislative stability and further development of Jordan’s tourism product.

They highlighted ways to prolong visitors’ stay in Jordan, noting the impact of tapping into the Kingdom’s unique attractions to activate religious, medical, conference, and adventure tourism.

The tourism sector grew by 9 per cent last year, with the total number of tourists increasing by 38 per cent compared with 2018, while tourist nights rose by 37 per cent.

Royal Hashemite Court Chief Yousef Issawi, Adviser to His Majesty for Communication and Coordination Bisher Khasawneh, Adviser to His Majesty for Policies and Media Kemal Al Nasser, and Jordan Tourism Board Managing Director Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat attended the meeting.