His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II on Thursday called for developing the tourism sector and preparing promotional plans that capitalise on its promising components, noting its major contributions to the national economy.

During a visit to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and a meeting with Tourism Minister Lina Annab and sector stakeholders, Crown Prince Al Hussein urged plans to generate more job opportunities, guarantee support for small-sized tourism projects, and promote Jordan as a key destination for meetings, incentives, conventions, and events, as well as for adventure, religious, and medical tourism.

His Royal Highness stressed the importance of upgrading the electronic platforms used to promote Jordan’s tourism product, since the majority of tourists and visitors obtain information on key tourist and archeological sites online.

The Crown Prince called for providing more incentives and support for tourist establishments and small-sized projects, in addition to activating low-cost flights to attract group tourists.

Tourism Minister Annab outlined the key components of the national tourism plan (2018-2022), which the ministry seeks to launch in partnership with the private sector and local communities to enhance the competitiveness of the tourism sector and make Jordan a key tourist destination, building on its safety and security.

The plan is aimed at increasing tourism revenue by boosting the sector’s growth to over 5 percent annually. Annab said, noting that the tourism growth rate exceeds that of the gross domestic product (GDP).

Turning to recreational tourism, the minister said the Jordan Tourism Board’s (JTB) plan targets high-spending tourists and taps into promising tourism trends.

Annab added that the goals of developing tourism also include generating more job opportunities and empowering youth and women to engage more effectively in the sector.

Tourism currently provides nearly 50,000 direct job opportunities.

Although the sector’s contribution to the GDP has dropped to 10 percent in 2016, compared with 14 percent in 2010, the minister said tourism remains the highest contributor among the various economic sectors.

Speaking at the meeting, JTB Managing Director Abed Al Razzaq Arabiyat highlighted the Board’s main plans to promote the tourism sector.

Outlining the JTB’s achievements, Arabiyat said it is developing its strategy by tapping into new global markets to attract tourists, utilizing social media and other electronic platforms.

Recent government measures to offer tax facilities at border crossings and airports, and encourage charter and low-cost flights have helped increase the number of inbound tourists, he added.

The Director of the Office of the Crown Prince, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism, and the Director of the Department of Antiquities attended the meeting.