AMMAN - The Ministry of Tourism will launch a new five-year strategy next month to develop the sector and increase the number of visitors to the Kingdom, a ministry official said Monday.
According to the ministry's spokesperson, Ansam Malkawi, the 2010-2015 policy tackles four areas: Improving tourism services, marketing, legislation governing the sector and developing human resources.
During the ministry's weekly press meeting, she said a committee chaired by the tourism minister with members from the public and private sectors has been formed to study how to increase competitiveness in the sector.
Malkawi also revealed that tourist police dealt with 540 accidents and complaints in tourist areas last year, compared to 456 in 2008.
Of the total, 159 were falling incidents, 45 road accidents, 41 thefts, 16 deaths, 91 complaints related to lost belongings, 16 cases of missing tourists and 172 other complaints.
Malkawi said the ministry usually handles complaints related to administrative issues, while criminal matters are referred to court.
The ministry also received complaints from tourists of being overcharged for services, particularly by taxi drivers, who often quoted prices over JD10 for short rides that actually cost JD2-JD3, she added.
At yesterday's meeting, Mohammad Oweisat, director of the Tourism Ministry's business licensing department, said the ministry, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, banned 50 tour guides of foreign nationalities from entering the country in 2009 for giving "inaccurate information" about historical sites in Jordan.
By Khetam Malkawi
© Jordan Times 2010
