Interview with HE Nasser Shraideh, Chief Commissioner of Petra Development & Tourism Region Authority

What is your overall assessment of tourism in Jordan, what have been the developments in 2010 and what is the outlook?

Most foreign visitors who come to Jordan come to visit Petra . We believe that we have had a very outstanding season. Statistics were impressive, but also in terms of numbers related to Petra we have achieved over 47% increase in the number of foreign tourists who have visited Petra in the last six months.

We believe we will maintain this trend over the second half of the year. The industry has been boosted this year as a result of a good effort and investment made in various areas. Jordan has been aggressive in promoting itself and its various interesting sites and products.

We have been progressive at developing appropriate, attractive and diversified tourism products that suit the preferences of various people. Having a unique World Heritage Site like Petra, the Dead Sea, Wadi Rum – a spectacular place -, modern services and a cosmopolitan capital, all within 3 to 4 hours distance really enriches the type of experience that anybody can have in a reasonable time frame and a welcoming atmosphere.

We’ve been trying to improve the type of services we offer, and I believe much has been done but with a lot more left. Part of the vision we have for Petra is to translate it into a world class tourist destination and enhance our competitiveness in the region.

What makes Petra one of the wonders of the world ?

It has the past, the present and the future. The past in terms of history ; it is a very unique civilization. The place gives you a unique experience. Petra has over 3000 special monuments ; the type of architecture there is really amazing. The engineering system this civilization brought to the place is quite impressive. At this site you can trace human settlement from over 10,000 years ago.

Is achieving sustainable tourism a challenge ?

This plus extending people’s stays plus addressing the issue of seasonality are among the three major issues we need to look into over the coming period. As a new authority operational since last October, we have articulated a vision to make a difference.

The site could be the hardware but it lacks the software that can truly make someone’s trip more interesting and repetitive. We need to diversify the product we offer in this region and introduce new concepts that can truly make someone come back multiple times.

Yesterday we launched an exercise for a new strategic master plan, with a key element of addressing this issue, drawing up a roadmap to address these three challenges that I mentioned. We have contracted a consortium of American, Australian, and Italian consultants that bring  a long experience in developing master plans for similar sites in the world and we hope they will come back with innovative ideas that are relevant and location-specific. We are looking for a package of marketable investment opportunities that can attract more tourists for multiple times and longer periods.

The site itself takes 8 full days to see entirely and 14 days to fully enjoy ! But most people only stay for a couple days and their trip ends at the Treasury. As for seasonality, we believe there is a false perception that the world has about Jordan as being very hot in the summer, whereas the weather is very nice. Noontime would be hot in the summer anywhere, but the mornings and evenings are beautiful !

Jordan is not a Gulf desert type climate. We don’t have a harsh winter. Petra itself is unique in that each hour of every day gives you a different feeling ! Visiting it during different seasons would give you such a different feeling each time.

What are some of the pioneering concepts you dream about for the future in Petra ?

Most opportunities here have been for accommodation, which we believe should be an element, not the product. I hope that different types of concepts can be adopted here, that are more than accommodation, concepts that can truly provide the tourist with a living experience of what this place used to represent in the past. I don’t want to preempt the process that we have, but I believe that a number of touristic villages can be established within the region that can really add value to what we offer.

What sorts of investment opportunities are there here ?

I think we need an immediate increase in room capacity here. This is a very obvious investment opportunity for many hotel chains. There is much more demand than supply, especially during March through May. But we shouldn’t stop there ; I think we should move forward with investments that can challenge the tourists to come to Petra multiple times.

What challenges do you face in terms of job creation, and is there anything the international community can work with you on ?

The site itself needs to be well-protected and conserved for future generations, which is a challenge itself. We have been working on a long-term strategy for that. We have to be sensitive in our development plans about threatening the site or damaging the environment.

We have been trying to diagnose and analyze current and future infrastructure needs, addressing water, and energy needs. We are also trying to be more creative to address these needs, like renewable energy. The government is supportive in working with us on these issues. Roads and transport systems would be another thing to look at.

How would you attract 1 million 500 tourists and how difficult would it be ?

I believe if you have truly creative concepts that would be attractive to people with such a unique site, you can easily get there. And that is what our master plan will focus on : creating ideas that can truly attract larger numbers of tourists and help us meet our target.

There is already a plan to be more aggressive in marketing Petra, combined with other interesting sites in Jordan. We are also consolidating traditional markets that we have been attracting tourists from, such as Europe and the States, as well as exploring new markets such as Latin America and the Far East.

Do you see other industries developing in this region besides tourism ?

Not really. The new law last year established this region as a tourism and development zone, that excludes industry. Support services or commercial services that can help provide a more attractive touristic environment would be good, but it wouldn’t be other than that due to the proximity of Amman and Aqaba.

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