Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquity has adopted many decisions and measures to minimize the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on tourism, and to inject liquidity into the tourism sector to protect the workers.

Minster, Majd Shweikeh, said that the government is considering the allocation of up to JOD30 million to the sector.

In a press briefing at the National Center for Security and Crisis Management (NCSCM), Shweikeh said that business owners and licensed workers in tourism will be exempted from any fees and fines related to renewing permits for 2020.

Investors in archeological and tourist sites, visitor centers and facilities affiliated with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquity will be exempted from administrative and operational fees, as well as outstanding rents, contracts for 2020, as they will be reimbursed for any fees that they had paid.

Shweikeh pointed out that the Jordan Tourism Board, hotels, restaurants, tourism and travel agencies, specialized tourism transport, airliners and tourism professionals associations who had paid for subscriptions will be reimbursed, adding that those that hadn't paid outstanding fees will be exempted for the year 2020.

She said that tour guides are eligible to apply for the concessional loans program that has been introduced by the Jordan Central Bank, in cooperation with the Jordan Loan Guarantee Corp and the Jordan Tourism Board to protect the local tourist products and services and contribute to sustaining them.

Moreover, an additional JOD5 million has been allocated to support the post-crisis local activities.

The Minister highlighted that the Ministry has coordinated with international e-commerce firms to promote a specialized platform for Jordanian traditional handcrafted and Dead Sea products, urging handicrafters and those who make Dead Sea products to contact the Ministry so that they are familiarized with criteria of advertising their products online.

Work on rehabilitating infrastructure and services at tourism and archeological sites will be undertaken during the period where there is no tourism activity.

"From the first moment of the crisis, we have constantly contacted all of our partners in the sector to assess the impact on this vital sector, which directly employs 55,000 people, and employs many more indirectly," Shweika said, stressing that the government has worked at full capacity to provide the necessary services and basic needs according to the highest standards that guarantee the safety of the people.