Jordan’s tourism income surges 88% as visitors flock to the country

Jordan’s tourism income surges 88% as visitors flock to the country

RIYADH: Jordan’s tourism income surged 88.4 percent in the first quarter of 2023 from the same period in the previous year to hit $1.671 billion on the back of a notable boost in tourism arrivals.

The country has recorded an unparalleled surge in the number of tourists coming to the country, with more than 1.47 million sightseers visiting during the first quarter of 2023.

This record number represents an increase of 90.7 percent compared with the 774,111 holidaymakers who visited during the same period last year, the Jordan News Agency reported.

It surpasses the figure for the first quarter of 2019, which was considered a “golden year” for tourism in Jordan, when 1.146 million visitors and 966,483 overnight tourists visited the country.

Jordan’s central bank data also showed a 68.4 percent spike in Jordanians’ spending on tourism during that period, reaching $422.3 million.

Tourism income in March grew by 49 percent compared to March of 2022 to total $614.7 million, revealed the data.

As for tourism expenditure in March, it rose 26.2 percent compared to the same month last year, hitting $139.9 million.

Furthermore, the latest Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities monthly bulletin revealed an 80.9 percent rise in the number of overnight tourists to 1.204 million