The Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Nayef al-Fayez said reallowing shisha is not a priority. He added that they will only allow serving shisha when the COVID-19 situation in the Kingdom is ‘comfortable.’

Fayez pointed out that over the past few days, there has been an increase in the percentage of positive PCR tests in Jordan. In order for the return of tourism to what it was, the percentage needs to be less than five percent.

The Chairman of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority Nayef Bakhit said the direct damage of the pandemic on the tourism sector made it among the most affected sectors in the Kingdom.

He stressed that work needs to be done, in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and the Jordan Tourism Board, to develop strategic plans to help restore the tourism sector.

The head of the Tourism Committee in the House of Representatives MP Obaid Yassin called for extending the exemptions for the tourism sector and the return of regular domestic flights between Amman and Aqaba. He added that ending home quarantine will benefit the tourism sector and encourage tourists to come from abroad.

Yassin pointed out that the financial, economic and financial risk is far greater than the risk of the pandemic.

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