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The figures showed that the number overnight tourists who visited Jordan in the January-September period reached 3.56 million people, a 23.4% increase over the same period in 2009, while the number of one-day tourists rose 15% to 2.9 million.
Statistics showed that the rise was most pronounced among Asian visitors, although visitor numbers from France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Britain also soared, along with those from Canada.
The ancient city of Petra registered the highest amount of tourist traffic, with 670,644 tourists visiting the city in the first nine months of 2010. Jerash was the second-most visited site in the kingdom, drawing 290,702 tourists during the period.
However, Wadi Rum witnessed the largest increase in tourists, growing to 189,312 visitors in the first nine months of the year, a 63.6% jump from January-September 2009.
Jordan tourism revenue up 20%
Tourism revenue is also rising in the kingdom, up more than 20% year-on-year to JD1.88bn ($2.65bn) between January and September 2010. Revenue from Petra increased a whopping 80% in the first nine months of the year, the data showed.
Jordan Tourism Board managing director Nayef al-Fayez said the numbers are far ahead of those recorded in 2008, which was the best tourism year ever in the kingdom. He believes tourism has been the key factor behind Jordan's success in minimising the negative impact of the global economic crisis.
The tourism sector is one of Jordan's main revenue stream streams and accounts for around 11% of the country's gross domestic product.
The rise in the number of visitors the country is also spurring investment in the tourism sector. Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Suzanne Afanah told Jordan Times that about 25 hotels are currently under construction throughout the country at various tourism sites and are expected to receive guests in 2012 and 2013. Of these hotels, seven are to be built on the shores of the Dead Sea and thirteen are to be developed in Petra.
One of the more unique efforts to boost tourism in Jordan was undertaken by Queen Rania Al Abdullah, who recently hosted a "Twisit Jordan" competition using her Twitter feed (@QueenRania) in association with Visit Jordan.
The contest generated thousands of views, with the winner of the international and Jordanian categories given a chance to swap countries for a week.
Investment in alternative tourist sites
For its part, the Jordan Tourism Board said it has been exploring new markets including China, Japan, and Brazil to build on the successes of the past few years. It is also aiming to minimise the seasonal patterns of tourist arrivals and establish Jordan as an all-year-round destination.
Efforts are also being made to develop the southern city of Shobak into an emerging tourism destination. A project led by the University of Florence in association with the Shobak Municipality aims to take advantage of the historical value and natural beauty of the southern town in order to bolster local development.
Situated on the road to Petra, Shobak is best known for its crusader castle, once part of a chain of fortresses stretching across the kingdom. However, the castle and town's Ottoman-era homes are often overlooked by tour groups who shuttle in and out of Wadi Musa to see Petra a few miles away.
Officials are working to enhance the facilities in the castle to enable it to accommodate larger numbers of tourists. Restoration experts will also work to renovate Ottoman and Mamluk buildings in the town for some to be converted into small-scale tourism businesses, Michele Nucciotti, an archaeologist from the University of Florence, told Jordan Times.
Jeff Florian, Senior Reporter
