AMMAN - A team of international consultants will soon begin working with the Jordan Tourism Board (JTB) to help enhance its marketing, research and communication capacities.
USAID/Jordan Tourism Development Project (JTDP) on Thursday awarded the JTB $143,252 to help assist in these areas.
JTB Managing Director Nayef Al Fayez told The Jordan Times the three consultants will arrive in March to work with his teams.
"Our teams have already been working on developing our marketing, communications and research requirements, but we do need an international flavour to further identify and guide these needs," Fayez said, adding that the consultants will be in the Kingdom until April and also work with local experts.
The agreement, signed in the presence of Minister of Tourism and JTB board chairman Maha Khatib, Fayez and USAID Mission Director Jay Knott, is divided into two grants.
The first will go into helping JTB upgrade its research and communication capacities in order to be in line with the National Tourism Strategy (NTS).
It will help JTB produce updated information on the tourism sector and visitor profiles in order to convey messages targeting strategic audiences such as the media, tour operators as well as local, regional and international tourists.
The second grant will help strengthen JTB's outreach by developing an e-marketing plan and expanding its photo library.
Fayez said although the JTB already has a five-year marketing plan in place, marketing efforts need to be supported with ongoing updated studies and information.
He noted that such research, which is already undertaken by local JTB staff and its offices abroad, can be developed further with the help of the grant.
A USAID/JTDP official said the e-marketing segment will include an indexing system that will allow easy retrieval of photos from its website, as well as a wide selection of high-quality images covering the country's tourism sites and attractions.
The official added that the archives will include photos and information of new attractions that have not been covered before. Plans will also include a CD of photos of the tourism sector.
USAID Mission Director Jay Knott acknowledged the Kingdom's efforts in developing the tourism industry, particularly JTB's key role in marketing the country as a unique tourism destination to the world.
"We are happy to support this vital pillar of tourism development and help share the wonders of Jordan's marvellous attractions with the world," said Knott.
Khatib said USAID's help was valuable in helping expand the country's outreach, noting that marketing and communication are important in raising the number of tourists to the country as set by the NTS.
By Dalya Dajani
© Jordan Times 2008
