AMMAN —
Urdunna Jannah, established to stimulate domestic tourism, has recently been
the focus of criticism on social media, with detractors saying that the program
promotes selected tourist areas, and that it has proved to be ineffective in
achieving its stated goal.
اضافة اعلان
Some also claim that there is less
interest in the program, and that it fails to include all tourist areas and
governorates, and to be innovative by coming up with new packages and different
tourist areas, especially in the north and the south, which, they say, is the
reason citizens are bored and there is low turnout.
Mohammad Khalil, 30, complained about
the tourism office that charged him a price that was many times more expensive
than the program’s set price of JD10 per day.
Khalil admits that “it was my fault for
not checking the company’s credibility or the cost, knowing that what
distinguishes this program is its symbolic price”.
Having learnt from his experience, he
urged those wishing to partake in the program to book through authorized
entities, and not fall in the trap of some tourist companies.
Amer Al-Ajarmeh, 27, told Jordan News that “the program gave the opportunity to many citizens to visit governorates
and tourist destinations that they were not able to visit before, and for this
I am grateful to those in charge of this program”.
He had, however, “some comments” about
the program.
“I hope the organizers pay more
attention to certain factors, especially since the program has contributed to
reviving the tourism sector.”
“Some tourist areas lack hygiene
standards, and the services provided were not always excellent. I realize that
this is due to overcrowding, but this may weaken future participation in the
program,” he pointed out.
Urdunna Jannah’s program director, Yazan
Al-Khadir, denied the accusations, saying that sites to visit are selected
based on certain criteria and that participation, contrary to critics’
estimation, is actually increasing.
“The number of participants in Urdunna
Jannah program has exceeded 130,000 since the beginning of this year,” he said,
adding that this government project, led by the Ministry of Tourism in
cooperation with the
Tourism Promotion Authority, represents a realistic model
of real partnership between the public and private sectors.”
According to Khadir, “the program
emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to help preserve the
sustainability of the tourism sector and Jordanians’ jobs”.
“The program began 10 years ago; it was
launched under the name Al-Urdun Ahla,” he said, adding that it underwent some
changes and became what is now Urdunna Jannah.
Further defending the raison d’être of
the program, Khadir stressed that “90 percent of the workers in the tourism
sector are Jordanians. They are highly skilled and losing them would be
irreparable. This program played an important role in preserving their jobs”.
Khadir, who is also assistant director
at the Jordan Tourism Board, said that “the number of participants in the
program was modest at the beginning; however, the demand for it is increasing
significantly day after day. On some days, the number of participants reaches
tens of thousands”.
As for coming up with more innovative
plans to make the program more appealing, Khadir said that “the program is
being developed according to the current changes and conditions”.
“Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the
program focused on presenting specific festivals and events, but now we are
focusing on promoting tourist areas that were significantly hurt by the
pandemic, including Petra, Wadi Rum, and Jerash,” he said.
According to him, “Wadi Rum and
Ajloun are the most attractive areas for tourists, and new destinations have been
added to the program, including Umm Al-Jimal”, which was visited by “thousands,
after being added to the program, compared to almost zero visitors last year”.
“In addition, we have added the shrines
of the Prophet Mohammad’s companions in Karak, as well as Shobak and Tafileh
governorates,” he said.
“Urdunna Jannah is not only a tourism
promoting program, but also a development program that aims to bring about real
social development and economic empowerment for local communities,” Khadir
said, adding that “there is strong coordination between the Ministry of Tourism
and its affiliate entities, and various tourist associations in order to
diversify tourist destinations, add new destinations every time and develop the
program in a way that satisfies visitors.”
“We do not give preference to
governorates or destinations, as some claim. There is thorough inspection of
the governorates and regions by the directors of tourism in these governorates
and those concerned with the tourism sector. After assessment, recommendations
are made,” he said.
Regarding the program prices, he said
that there are two types, “one costs JD10 and it includes a one-day visit to
the destination, transportation, food, and a tourist guide. The other includes
accommodation in a hotel, and the price could be JD35 for a five-star hotel.
The visitors have the option to choose cheaper hotels, too”.
Khadir stressed that it is important to
integrate tourist guides in the program, “especially because they have suffered
greatly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the absence of foreign
tourists, so the program was their only outlet for making money”.
What sets the program apart is the fact
that “the starting point is not centered on a specific governorate, it can be
from any governorate of the Kingdom. In one of the visits, tourists went on a
trip from Aqaba to Irbid, stayed in one of Irbid’s hotels, and then returned to
Aqaba”.
“The program organizers take visitors’
feedback into consideration. We pay close attention to the comments received
from them and follow up on them. The work of one of the operators was suspended
after receiving some comments about their performance,” he stressed.
“This is a subsidized program;
therefore, it is dedicated solely to Jordanian visitors, so that they have the
opportunity to visit multiple destinations in Jordan,” he said, urging citizens
“to check out the program through its website, jannah.jo, and register through
it to avoid falling victim to some tourism agencies that sometimes manipulate
the program’s prices, which will remain unchanged.
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