MADABA - Tourism developments are transforming the mosaic city of Madaba, but local business owners have concerns about the sustainability of the changes.
As authorities near the end of the two-year Third Tourism Project, implemented in cooperation with the World Bank, the city has undergone a JD6.5 million overhaul in infrastructure and public spaces.
Madaba Mayor Aref Abu Rajouh said the projects have already impacted citizens' lives, as the municipality has installed new electricity, water and sewage networks, pavement and street lighting.
"We have prepared Madaba for the next 50 years," Abu Rajouh told The Jordan Times in a recent interview.
"We are expecting to have a greater global profile," he said, pointing out that with the Pope's recent trip to the area, and the visit by US mayors on the sidelines of the recent mayoral conference in May, the city is becoming a leading destination for religious tourism.
Abu Rajouh indicated that Madaba has overtaken Jerash as the second-most visited city in the country, noting that the mosaic city is on track to attract 400,000 tourists this year.
The mayor highlighted initiatives for local citizens, such as a 20-dunum IT centre and recreational area being established under a Royal makruma, which will include parks, a theatre and other public spaces, and is expected to open later this year.
He noted that visitors often use Madaba, a 15-minute drive from the airport and located 20 kilometres from the Dead Sea, as a transit point and thus miss out on the area's rich heritage and historical sites.
To encourage visitors to spend more than one night in the city, Abu Rajouh said the municipality has pedestrianised Artisan Street, which runs from the Madaba Archaeological Park to the Church of the Map, from 9:00am to 4:00pm to facilitate the movement of large tour groups.
According to Tourism Ministry Secretary General Ihab Amarin, various infrastructure works are over "60 per cent" complete, and he expects the Third Tourism Project to conclude within the next six months.
"This will be a new product of Madaba to extend visitor stays in the city and in Jordan," he said, stressing that the services are geared towards citizens as well as tourists.
As part of the developments, new roads and paved sidewalks guide tourists along several heritage trails showcasing Madaba's various historic, archaeological and heritage sites.
Officials are also finishing work on the Ottoman era Saraya building, formerly a police station, to host Madaba's new heritage museum, with construction expected to be completed within the next two months.
The municipality is currently identifying locations for parking lots to clear the city's narrow streets of parked cars and trucks, which often block sidewalks and cause congestion, Amarin said.
"We are delivering safe sidewalks for citizens. Right now in Madaba, all you see is cars, which ruins the image of the city," he noted.
In the project's final stages, ministry and municipal teams will work to clean the facades of heritage buildings and remove visual pollution.
"It's like applying the makeup to a bride ahead of a wedding. Madaba is going to look beautiful," Amarin said.
Despite the infrastructure overhaul, local business owners have expressed apprehension over the upcoming tourist season.
They said the proposed pedestrianisation of Artisan Street has failed, as motorists remove the barriers during the day and continue to drive down the narrow strip at fast speeds, displacing visitors.
In addition, they claim that tourist guides refuse to allow visitors to browse their shops, insisting instead they adhere to a strict schedule, which often includes visits to nearby "bazaars" selling Syrian and Indian handicrafts that provide guides with a commission and hurt local artisans.
Fadi Karadsheh, who opened his restaurant and café six months ago, said he has been unable to generate a profit due to ongoing construction work.
He said he opened his café, which offers outdoor seating and film screens for tourists, in order to take advantage of potential increased visitor stays.
"For people to spend the night in Madaba, we need nightlife... something for visitors to do besides looking at stones. These tour programmes consider all tourists archaeologists, when they're not," he said.
For Bilal Lafe of Philadelphia Mosaics business has been steady, but he expressed fear that Madaba will not see a repeat of its landmark year in 2008 because of the global economic recession and tight tour itineraries.
Meanwhile, Motaz Sawabha, who opened his business thanks to the support of the Planning Ministry's IRADA initiative, said he may be forced to close his Turkish baths if the upcoming peak season is not successful.
Despite these concerns, Abu Rajouh said the future remains bright for the city of mosaics.
"We have history, religion, archaeology and culture. But here in Madaba we are most famous for our hospitality - which will keep visitors coming back."
By Taylor Luck
© Jordan Times 2009
