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Talal Convention Centre managed by Hilton, hailed as the largest stand-alone convention centre in the country, has already played host to some of the region’s most prestigious events. “As the destination Dead Sea, we are working on several conventional for the coming years. […] We are also working aggressively with JTB and Destination Dead Sea on acquisitions for the future through extensive campaigns and providing support to local, regional, and international conference organisers,” explained Ajami, adding that the centre has already established itself as leading venue and will continue to do so with the upcoming 285-room Hilton Dead Sea Resort & Spa, which will be situated adjacent to the convention centre. READY, SET, GO! Professionals working in the industry share the view that Jordan has a lot to offer, as Ajami also highlighted, adding that investing in effective marketing and promotion is crucial. Along parallel lines, Alia called on the public sector to step up their initiatives and developments, and observed that the launch of a year-round event calendar could help enhance Jordan’s standing as a serious contender for both leisure and business tourism, citing Dubai as a prime example.
Jordan
Eric Seso, general manager, ibis Amman, concurred, “Jordan has a high potential for tourism and needs to focus more on investing in communication and infrastructure that can help put forward its fantastic cultural and natural heritage. Also, Jordan needs to popularise the destination and target the economy segment in order to gain volume. I believe that increasing low-cost airline traffic could prove a very good opportunity as well as develop online bookings.” Khatib further remarked on the importance of further fostering the industry’s growth in terms of both developments and activities. “We believe that [especially] the Dead Sea area requires a major development and new projects, such as malls, shopping arcades, night clubs, and so on,” he said. In Aqaba, a number of projects are already under construction, which, as Obeidat noted, are expected to help increase both visitor volume and length of stay and give a major boost to the industry in general. Due to the past years’ geopolitical and world economic situation, a number of developments in Amman, the Dead Sea area, as well as in Aqaba have been delayed, noted Hoesli, adding that when looking at any other than the traditional European and American key feeder markets, such as the Middle Eastern segment, entertainment and high quality shopping options could definitely advance tourism, especially in Aqaba and the Dead Sea areas. ENHANCING PRODUCT As Arabiyat explained, the new NTS retains the fourpillar framework with the four pillars being marketing and promotion, product development, labour market development and enabling environment. Exemplifying the main goals, Arabyiat said, “[The new strategy aims to] expand the distribution channels of the Jordan tourism product; to enhance and develop the promotion tools for the product; to strengthen JTB’s relationship with stakeholders locally and abroad; and to develop the institutional performance of JTB. “Based on these goals, strategic objectives were established, including plans to conduct marketing activities in new emerging markets; to increase focus on promoting medical, wellness, religious, and edu-
cational tourism, in addition to the main six experiences; to work on charter flights from promising potential markets,” explained Arabiyat, revealing that JTB also aims to strengthen its collaboration with Dubai’s tourism sector in a bid to target long-haul destinations. As Jordan continues to forge ahead, a number of large-scale developments are set to foster the Kingdom’s competitiveness on both regional and global scales. One such pioneering urban project is Abdali, which has been envisaged to become a prominent landmark of the capital, by bringing together a mix of the finest hotels, cafés, and restaurants, along with a host of local and international fashion boutiques, and offering a bustling hub for live entertainment and leisure, as George Amireh, CEO, Abdali Investment & Development, explained. “With several international luxury hotels such as the Rotana and W hotels, in addition to 400 luxurious serviced apartments operated and managed by Rotana Hotel Management Corporation, at the Abdali Boulevard, tourists will be offered a pinnacle of luxuriant world-class services and the ultimate convenience of having a multitude of facilities only steps away.” The development consists of two phases, the first of which comprises 34 separate projects owned and developed by a multitude of both local and international investors. According to Amireh, 26 of these are slated for completion by the end of 2014, with 17 of those set to become operational, already, within the span of the current year, while the second phase of the project is currently under review to accommodate the changing demand patterns within the real estate market. Meanwhile, approximately 85 percent of mid-rise developments within the project has already been declared ready for operation, while a total of five towers are currently being erected, one of which will be the Rotana hotel tower, which, at 188m, is set to become the highest tower in Jordan, noted Amireh. For the 32,000m2 Abdali Mall, five underground floors designated for services and parking, have already been constructed, Amireh continued, adding that works have also recently commenced on the W hotel tower. The Boulevard is envisaged to become another major component of the development; one which Taher Al Jaghbir, CEO, Abdali Boulevard Company (ABC), described as the new downtown of Amman. “Built on a land area of 26,540m2, this mixed-use project of 224,000m2 of built up area consists of a 370m long pedestrian spine, bordered by 12 buildings, six on each side,” he explained, adding that the project is set to play a central role in promoting Amman as a viable tourism destination and a choice location. “The Boulevard is now more than 90 percent complete from a construction point of view and we are currently leasing the remaining retail areas and office spaces to prospective tenants,” informed Al Jaghbir, who further revealed that The Boulevard is scheduled to welcome its first visitors and guests before the end of the year, in line with the proposed opening of Rotana’s Arjaan Serviced Hotel Apartments. Meanwhile, with a number of large-scale developments in the pipeline, Aqaba also continues to gain ground as an emerging destination, where the JUNE 2013