Travel Beyond Petra
Jordan is working hard to reposition itself as the region’s best-hidden travel lab—a small state territory that brings surprising ease to the ancients and aspirations to the modern. “We looked at an entire sector as part of Jordan’s Economic Modernization Vision,” the tourism minister, Imad Hijazeen, said at a recent business forum, “the sector will create economic growth, jobs, and enhance our local economies, and shift a national identity.
The minister — and local operators — envision not just Petra postcards and Dead Sea selfies, but an assemblage of niche markets ready to blow up: adventure trails traversing the desert, eco-lodges in sensitive biospheres, cross-border medical visits, and local food and community agritourism that turns villages into living museums. Now the government playbook focuses on smarter regulation, faster permits, and facilitating small firms so that tourism dollars ripple through each of the hard-working governorates rather than just Amman and Aqaba.
Jordan’s tourism sector has shown some endurance: a slowdown in arrivals during 2024 highlighted regional pressure, but statistics for 2025 show positive numbers — supporting the idea that when you offer stability and engage in sensible marketing, tourists will return quickly. That recovery is just the opportunity that the ministry seeks to take advantage of by offering Jordan as more than a one-stop destination — as a weeklong journey from the Roman ruins in Jerash to the starlit dunes of Wadi Rum.
The country’s assets make the approach credible. Petra—the “Rose City” quarried out of sandstone—is still being excavated by archaeologists, while the Dead Sea remains the world’s lowest natural point, a central and vital aspect for the wellness tourist. Elsewhere, places such as the Dana Biosphere Reserve feature rare biodiversity and immersive experiences appealing to eco-conscious travelers. Add in competitive air access and a growing digital visa ecosystem, and you have the ingredients for today’s pivot into tourism.
If Jordan is successful, the rewards will be economic and cultural—new hospitality and guiding jobs will emerge, rural economies will come back to life, and Jordan will have a stronger presence in regional circuits of tourism. The tricky part—and the fun—will be to weave those strands into products that tell one single, attractive story that Jordan is not a place to visit, but it is a place to explore, to heal, and to be wowed by. With clear policy momentum and an astounding inventory of natural and historical oddities, Jordan may soon freshen the region’s best-kept travel secret—no longer a secret for long.
