Tourism and Antiquities Minister Makram Mustafa A Queisi says Jordan is facing the brunt of the West’s perception of the Middle East being one unit, while stressing that his strong and resilient country is safe to visit notwithstanding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Since October 7, the number of tourists to the country has been steadily declining due to the Hamas attack on Israel last year and the subsequent Israeli invasion of Gaza. By generating USD 7.3 billion, the sector contributes 14.6 per cent to Jordan’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 55,000 people directly.
“Jordan has always been strong and resilient… It is the problem of perception in the West, especially in Europe and the US — maybe Canada and Australia as well. They look at the Middle East as one unit, Queisi told PTI.
If a bullet is fired in the southern part of the Middle East, the eastern part, the western part and the northern part are affected and this is a problem in the region,” added the minister who here for the ongoing World Heritage Committee meeting.
“It all depends on perception. A war in Ukraine has been going on for the past three or more years but neighbouring countries are not affected. For instance, Hungary, a border country to Ukraine, was not affected,” the 54-year-old said.
Jordan’s desert Wadi Rum, favourite among many Hollywood makers, has been the backdrop for several blockbusters including “The Martian” and “Red Planet”.
Queisi, who visited Agra earlier this week, said he hopes to strengthen collaboration between India and Jordan in the area of film tourism.
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Several Indian films, including “Krrish 3”, “Vishwaroopam”, “Aaru”, “Mission Istanbul” and “Prithvi”, have been shot in the diverse landscapes of Jordan. Bollywood’s recent Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff starrer “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan” was also shot in the kingdom.
“We started this through our collaboration with the Royal Film Commission because we think that this is a very promising industry that we are trying to pursue and we’ll do whatever it takes to entice them for more film shoots in Jordan,” he said.
“In terms of the number of tourists from India, 2019 was a very good year. 2023 was okay. Today, because of the crisis that is happening in the region, maybe the numbers are declining. But there is another aspect which is connectivity and that’s why I am here.
“We’ll propose incentive schemes for the Indian airlines or the Royal Jordanian airlines and encourage the resumption of direct flights between Amman and New Delhi, and maybe other cities from India,” he added.
In 2023, 70,000 Indians visited Jordan.
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