AMMAN — Jordan’s tourism sector took off in 2025, as visitor numbers, new air connections, and a hotel construction boom all came together to create one of the strongest rebounds for the kingdom in years. In the first half of the year alone, around 3.29 million visitors came to Jordan, an increase of about 18% over the same period in 2024, and tourism spending jumped to JD 2.17 billion (≈ USD 3.06 billion), which is an indication of higher spending and longer stays with higher-value room stays.
What is driving this upturn in visitation? First, it’s connectivity: low-cost carriers and expanded European seasonal schedules have made Amman and Aqaba much easier—and cheaper— to visit. Budget airlines have created dozens and dozens of seasonal and year-round routes, and Ryanair alone has recently announced an unprecedented winter schedule for Amman, featuring hundreds of thousands of seats to a whole range of EU markets. The influx of new seats is allowing more visitors to turn a one-week bucket-list pilgrimage into a short-break getaway for more tourists.
Second, product depth: new projects of hotels and resorts—especially in Aqaba and the Dead Sea area—which are cold, creating more room options from heritage boutique stays in Petra to five-star beachfront resorts on the Red Sea. The Dead Sea region has been a premium draw for wellness or day-trip tourism, and H1 2025 marked strong growth in total daily visits, respectively, and overall. Both domestic day-trippers and international guests staying at resorts have contributed to the overall daily demand.
A strange number arises when you run the numbers: if you divide the converted receipts (USD 3.06 billion) by arrivals (3.29 million), the result is an average spending of around USD 930 per visitor for the timeframe. This is shorthand for how Jordan continues to capture economic value from each arrival, whether through more expensive hotel stays, experiential guides, longer itineraries, or higher prices for activities or specifically itineraries including Petra, Wadi Rum and the Red Sea coast.
Authorities cite intelligent infrastructure expenditure, specific promotion (i.e., cultural exhibitions abroad) and encouragement for hotel investment as vital to continuing momentum. For visitors, the narrative is easy to understand: Jordan is now easier to reach; it has more lodging options; and it is transforming classical heritage attractions into a multi-stop travel circuit that provides the traveler with a reward for their curiosity, from Roman ruins in Jerash to starlit deserts in Wadi Rum to buoyant wellness centres on the Dead Sea.
If the kingdom continues opening routes and beds and, importantly, protects its archaeological and natural capital, it is possible that 2025 will be not a one-time blip but the beginning of a more stable, higher-value period for Jordanian tourism.
