The Jordanian Government takes measures to boost tourism competitiveness

Announcing the measures on Monday February 3rd, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Maha Khatib said the government would reduce the sales tax during 2009 on hotel rates from 14% to 8%. She said the measure would be directly reflected by a drop in room rates.

"Combined with a drop in Royal Jordanian ticket prices", the Minister added, "The new room rates will mean cheaper package trips offered by tour operators to the Kingdom's visitors from around the globe."

The new government measures include streamlining entry procedures for citizens of India and China, who combined have a population of over two billion people or an equivalent of one-third of the world's population. The minister said the complicated visa process for Chinese and Indian nationalities used to be governed by labor-related issues. Indians and Chinese expatriates living in other countries can fly directly to the Kingdom and obtain the visa at the airport on condition that they can prove their residency in those countries.

The Tourism and Antiquities Minister also announced that Romanian citizens will no longer need a visa to enter Jordan, and will be issued an entry visa at the airport or any border crossing.

Mrs. Khatib said the new measures are not designed to face the challenges posed by the global economic and financial crisis, as much as safeguarding the Kingdom's tourism industry achievements. She said the tourism sector will not be dramatically affected by the global financial meltdown, because it is diversified and competitive.

She said a decision will be made soon to lower electricity bills for hotels, which currently pay the highest rate in the industrial sector.