Fouad Rababa in an In-Depth Interview with Al-Oula

Al-Oula Exclusive – Tourism Affairs Editor:

Mr. Fouad Rababa, Chairman of Global Tourism & Trav Company and Chairman of Summit Mountain for Agricultural Development, is one of Jordan›s prominent figures in the tourism industry, dedicated to the development and growth of tourism. He played a pioneering role in enhancing the operations of travel agencies that bring tourist groups to the Kingdom. Rababa has also made significant contributions to the tourism industry in Saudi Arabia and Morocco. He previously chaired the Jordan branch of the American Society of Travel Agents, helping to attract leading American travel companies and agents to visit Jordan, extending the duration of American tourists› stays.

Al-Oula conducted a comprehensive interview with Mr. Rababa, discussing the key issues, concerns, and challenges facing the tourism sector, as well as obstacles that hinder its development and prosperity. Below is the interview.

Starting with Mr. Fouad Rababa, who has been working in the tourism industry for four decades, do you agree that today’s tourism sector suffers from serious repercussions, such as the war in Gaza leading to widespread tension in the region, following the COVID- 19 pandemic? As the sector had just begun recovering from the pandemic, the events of October 7 and the aggression in Gaza struck. Do you think the impact of this situation will extend to 2025, and if so, what are your proposed solutions and scenarios? Where do you see the sector heading?

In my opinion, the tourism sector is always among the first to be affected by events such as wars, disasters, or health crises like COVID-19. This is because the tourism sector is sensitive and directly linked to surrounding events. Tourism is also directly related to air travel and movement across countries, which becomes nearly paralyzed during such conflicts. Jordan, in particular, due to its geographical location, is constantly impacted by surrounding political events, especially what’s currently happening in the region.

This creates fluctuations in the sector’s activity, moving up and down. As soon as the sector recovers and begins to thrive, it soon returns to a state of stagnation due to these conflicts. It’s important to emphasize that the tourism sector is one of the main sources of national income for Jordan, influencing the state’s overall budget and connected sectors, such as hotels, transportation, tourist sites, restaurants, and many other facilities.

Uncertainty, instability, and a lack of assurance about future stability keep the sector in a state of anticipation and caution. Current conflicts in the region could potentially reshape the entire area demographically and geopolitically, which could positively or negatively impact the sector and keep it under political influence, leaving it in a state of caution about what the future may hold.

It’s widely known that tourism is both a delicate and resilient industry, experiencing quick declines and rapid recoveries. It’s directly tied to individuals› desires to travel and explore. If the situation stabilizes partially, or as you noted, if political and geographical matters in the region are reorganized, when do you think this industry will begin to recover?

The tourism industry faces two main challenges, particularly in Jordan. Firstly, the decisions impacting the industry and those responsible for these decisions often lack the necessary expertise and knowledge to handle issues effectively and correct the course. On the other hand, unfortunately, there’s also a lack of competitive and attractive tourism programs compared to other countries. Jordan is a significant tourist attraction, with extraordinary sites capable of drawing tourists strongly. However, when we compare Jordan’s tourism programs to those of Egypt, Turkey, and the Israeli entity, Jordan’s tourism program is more expensive, which reduces tourists› desire to visit Jordan after comparing the costs with other destinations.

From your perspective, if Jordan’s tourism program is the highest in cost, how does the quality, content, and type of tourism services compare? What tools do you think we need in this area?

To illustrate, when a tourist arrives from Israel and transfers to a Jordanian tourist bus, the difference in service quality is noticeable. This extends to the overall experience in Jordan, including the quality of public services and facilities, hotels, and the number of hotel rooms.

Regarding tourism transportation, current regulations require transport companies to use buses no older than five years, increasing their cost due to the high purchase price and customs and taxes. I believe there should be provisions to allow the purchase of tourist buses exempt from customs and high taxes, with an option to sell them to the public sector at reasonable prices after five years. This would improve the quality of both tourist and internal public transportation services.

Similarly, we need to provide more exemptions and incentives for the hotel sector to encourage investment, increase operational capacity, and expand the number of hotel rooms to accommodate the growing number of tourists. Additionally, high taxes on airline tickets inflate travel costs. Therefore, I believe we need to reconsider all legislation, regulations, and laws concerning key tourism-related sectors, such as transportation, hotels, and aviation.

Jordan boasts a variety of tourism types, including historical, medical, recreational, adventure, and religious tourism (Islamic and Christian). We should work on developing these types of tourism, diversifying their paths, and fostering innovation in this sector to realize His Majesty King Abdullah II’s vision through his constant directives to successive governments to invest in tourism and improve its efficiency for sustainable development.