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Ammon News -

Tourism and Antiquities Minister, Nayef Fayez, said contribution of Jordan's tourism sector to the gross domestic product (GDP) last year stood at JD1 billion, compared to more than JD4 billion in 2019.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the scientific day of Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at Al al-Bayt University, entitled: "Tourism and its Role in the Renaissance of the National Economy amid Centennial of Jordanian state," Fayez said the tourism situation is "expected to improve in 2021," given the stability of the Kingdom's epidemiological situation and several countries worldwide, especially in light of the ministry's programs and plans launched to attract more tourists.

Fayez added that a ministry's specialized team, in coordination and cooperation with the concerned ministries, is entrusted to study the 2021 tourist programs and examine possibility of their continuation to 2022.

Indicators signal "a gradual" improvement of Jordan's tourism sector, especially with the launch of the foreign tourism season, which will start mid-September, Fayez told the participants.

On the feasibility of the university's scientific day, he noted the ministry seeks to harness its outcomes to support the gov't efforts to advance the tourism sector.

Fayez said the ministry seeks to contain Covid-19 pandemic-induced effects on the tourism sector by creating an "exceptional" response to the crisis, to accelerate Jordan's tourism industry by adopting a "unified" tourist approach and making the Kingdom a "leading" travel destination.