10,000 tourism sector employees affected by government decisions: Jordan Hotels Association

Jordan

Published: 2021-03-30 22:19

Last Updated: 2024-03-28 13:05


10,000 tourism sector employees affected by government decisions: Jordan Hotels Association
10,000 tourism sector employees affected by government decisions: Jordan Hotels Association

Tuesday, the President of the Jordan Hotels Association Abdul Hakim al-Hindi said the aim of the health and safety protocols, put in place by the National Committee for Epidemics and the Association, is to work towards a 'safe summer' in jordan.

Hindi explained that the hotel sector in Petra is 'finished' and the occupancy rate in the Dead Sea hotels does not exceed 25 percent. He added that the occupancy rate in Amman does not exceed 15-18 percent.

He said all workers in the tourism sector will have to take the COVID-19 vaccine. He told Roya that a meeting will soon be held to determine when workers will be vaccinated.

He pointed out that the protocols implemented in the tourism sector ensure that the capacity on buses does not exceed 50 percent and that the occupancy rate in the hotel sector does not exceed 70 percent.

The Secretary of the Jordan Society of Tourism and Travel Agents Kamal Abu Diab said the tourism sector in Jordan is 'completely destroyed' after a year of closures due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He noted that approximately 800 tourism agencies, including an estimated 10,000 employees, were affected by the government's decisions and 'failure to take the correct decision'.

He added that a total of 307 tourism agencies did not renew their licenses, according to the Ministry of Tourism. and the offices that have renewed licenses 'do not have any safety components to operate'.

He stressed that the government decisions had 'killed the tourism sector'.

He pointed out that the government did not establish any protection programs to protect tourism agencies in Jordan.

Abu Diab stressed that the tourism sector needs help and banks did not take them into consideration, because the tourism sector is a 'devastated sector'.