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Marketing
Africa to Jordan Getting
There: Jordan has two international airports; Queen
Alia International Airport, 32 km south of Amman
and Aqaba, plus a small airport at Marqa.
Royal
Jordanian Airways, the national airline links Amman
with most capitals in Europe, Middle East, Asia,
and the Americas . Air France, KLM, Austrian
Airways, Al Italia, Tarom, CSA, and Turkish
Airlines are other options. Photo:
The later Professor Meghji of Tanzania plants tree
at Peace Park during Peace Through Tourism
Conference in Jordan, o=organized by
ATA-
IIPT..
From Africa Travel Magazine Archives JORDAN TOURISM IN
VANCOUVER, CANADA, MONDAY, OCTOBER 2 ABOUT
JORDAN Images of the
ancient Nabatean city of Petra, carved from the
rock over a thousand years ago, have long been most
people's first impression of Jordan. But while
Petra is indeed one of the most stunning
attractions in the Middle East, Jordan offers so
much more for the modern traveler. A well-travel
led bridge between sea and desert, east and west,
the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a land of
mesmerizing beauty and contrasts, from the Jordan
Valley, fertile, ever changing, to the remote
desert canyons, immense and still. Visitors can
explore splendid desert castles, gaze in awe at the
haunting wilderness of Wadi Rum, or bathe in the
restful waters of the Red Sea. HISTORY &
CULTURE There is no
mistaking the fact that Jordan is a Kingdom steeped
in history and culture. From the moment you arrive,
you get a sense of its rich heritage, all around
are remnants of ancient civilizations long since
past, yet they still remain, stamped into the very
fabric of this amazing Kingdom and etched into the
soul of the people who live here. JORDAN TOURISM
BOARD NEWS
RELEASES Royal Village
Bayan Holding
Company announced the official opening of the
state-of-the-art Royal Village head office and
sales center and unveiled the final master plan and
model for the landmark development, located in the
center of Amman. This key milestone follows the
laying of the foundation stone for Royal Village
under the patronage of and in the presence of King
Abdullah II in November 2005. A key component
of the $1.25 billion Royal Metropolis project in
the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Royal Village, is
one of the most technologically advanced and
energy-friendly gated residential communities.
Royal Village is being promoted by Bayan Holding
Company, a joint venture between Gulf Finance House
(GFH), Kuwait Finance & Investment Company
(KFIC) and its clients, with a capital of more than
$410 million. The new on-site
Royal Village head office was officially opened at
a high-profile formal ceremony under the patronage
of Dr. Marouf Al Bakhit, the Prime Minister of the
Kingdom of Jordan, and was attended by Minister of
Economy and Trade, Sharif Al Zu'bi, senior
dignitaries, VVIPs, government officials, Bayan
Holding Company management, clients, investors and
media. Esam Janahi,
Chairman of Bayan Holding Company and Chief
Executive Officer and board member of GFH, said:
"The opening of the Royal Village head office marks
a major milestone in the ongoing progress of the
project. " In addition to
the head office, the new on-site state-of-the-art
Sales Center will serve as a fully integrated sales
and support facility for the
developers. Consisting of
audiovisual and model display areas, it will be
equipped to host guests, investors, events, press
conferences, meetings, and will facilitate site
tours. Janahi added:
"Through Royal Village, we aim at creating a well
designed, secure and luxurious environment which
will appeal to individuals seeking to identify with
an exclusive and fashionable lifestyle. Thus, with
Royal Village opening for sales, GCC Nationals and
residents will have the opportunity to own a second
home in Jordan. Additionally, we envisage and are
confident of a strong response for this project
from high net worth individuals, especially
Jordanians living overseas who are keen to invest
in their home country." Abdul Rahman
Al-Saeed, board member of Bayan Holding Company and
Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of KFIC
said: "Royal Village is a unique development that
will complement the efforts of the Kingdom of
Jordan, under the capable leadership of King
Abdullah II and with the support of Dr. Marouf Al
Bakhit, the Prime Minister, to optimally leverage
the country's strengths and positively contribute
to accelerating its economic
growth." Key facilities
and amenities at Royal Village will include a club
house, parks, landscaped gardens, a shopping mall,
a multi-screen cinema theater, tennis courts,
state-of-the-art infrastructure, energy efficient
solar solutions, fib re-optic cabling and a central
gas distribution network amongst
others. Tourism
has been identified as a potential economic
stimulant and one of the key growth points in the
economy. It is predicted that it will be a crucial
job creator well into the 21st century. It
consequently assumes a new significance in the
overall economic strategy of the
government. The
thrust of the Government of National Unity's
macroeconomic strategy is meeting the basic needs
of all South Africans, and addressing the huge
disparities that still divide the previously
privileged from the historically
disadvantaged. To
ensure the recovery of our economy, which was so
severely damaged by the misguided policies of the
past, we have put into place the Growth, Employment
and Redistribution plan or GEAR - premised on a
partnership among government, business and labor,
which aims to create an environment conducive to
investment. For
this sector to grow required a complementary set of
initiatives in the finance, transport,
communications, construction, public utilities and
hospitality sectors. Once attained, this growth
will directly feed back into these sectors while
relying on them for its continued
sustenance. I
was very heartened to learn that part of the
rationale for combining a comprehensive travel
business with a retailing component, was to provide
a greater depth of service to tourists visiting our
country, and to maximize synergies within the
group. I am also particularly interested in the
intentions of Tourvest to expand into other
tourist-related businesses, including ecotourism
and the development of ecotourism attractions; and
the identification of black equity partners, with a
view to creating wealth in previously disadvantaged
constituencies. The
business sector has also on many occasions, raised
legitimate concerns about the South African Tourism
Board, and the manner in which South Africa has
been marketed internationally. A visit to many of
our Foreign Embassies or international SATOUR
offices will tell you that South Africa has thus
far been marketed almost exclusively for its flora,
fauna and beautiful beaches. But,
is that all there is to South
Africa? Concerning
the rich tapestry of cultural, racial, linguistic
and religious diversity that makes up this country,
why has it been so difficult to promote and to
market these as among the many dimensions of the
South African experience? Dishes
that are distinctly African are beyond the ken of
our hospitality industry! Yet virtually every
visitor to South Africa I have had contact with
wishes to taste African cuisine! In
a city such as Johannesburg, which has one of the
largest Indian populations on the African
continent, one cannot get a decent curry on the
menu of any of our leading restaurants. The
Euro-centric focus of both our marketing and
promotions is in great measure a function of the
exclusion of Africans, Coloreds and Indians from
this sector. The entry of entrepreneurs from the
previously disadvantaged communities into the
tourist business, will I am certain, begin to
change that. The commitment, expressed by Tourvest,
to explore black equity partners, to draw
previously disadvantaged communities into the
tourism industry therefore must be
commended. My
Ministry is committed to exploring ways in which to
broaden the base of the industry, by promoting the
participation of the previously marginalized and
disadvantaged business people and communities in
the tourism industry. The private sector must play
its role in making the industry more
representative. By so doing it will not only
address the pressing problem of employment and
income-generation, but also be acting in its own
interest by presenting this new image of the new
South Africa, home of the rainbow
nation. My
Ministry has recognized that an innovative and
assertive approach is needed to market South Africa
internationally, to capture the lessons we have
learnt as a nation, and to present the face of the
new South Africa to the rest of the world. We have
already begun the process of spearheading
far-reaching changes in the tourism industry. New
legislation which made provision for the
establishment of a new Tourism Board was passed in
November last year. Ladies
and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that I have
last week appointed the members of the new South
African Tourism Board. I received many nominations
from the public, and from different sectors of
society, of the highest caliber of people. The
members of the new Tourism Board represent the
provinces, business, labor and communities. We have
also included specialists in tourism among the
appointees. This
new Board is charged with the responsibility of
providing a new direction and focus in the
marketing of South Africa. Being a highly
representative body, I am certain that this Board
will strengthen the relationship between government
and those engaged in the tourism industry as
employers and employees. (A
list of the new board members is available from my
Media Liaison Officer.) Ladies
and gentlemen, my Ministry believes that South
African tourism is set to make huge strides into
the global tourism arena. The private sector is
critical to this aim, and initiatives such as the
launch of the Tourism Investment Corporation shows
me that you share this vision. Mr.
Chairperson, thank you for inviting me to address
you here today, and I wish Tourvest every success
in your future endeavors. Thank
you |
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It
is a pleasure for me to address you today, at the
launch of an important and significant initiative
in the tourism industry, the formation of the
Tourism Investment Corporation, or Tourvest.
Tourvest, the first non-hotel group focused
exclusively on the tourism sector to be listed on
the JSE, can indeed play a major role in the South
African tourism industry. While there are a handful
of terribly misguided souls who appear bent on
scaring away tourists and international investors
by spreading lurid stories about this country, the
tourism industry continues to grow from strength to
strength. South
Africa is experiencing a massive tourism boom, as
thousands of visitors flock to our shores. South
Africa has now outstripped all other countries on
the continent, save Egypt, as a tourist
destination. Foreign tourism has grown 16% in real
terms over the past six to nine years, well above
the international average of 4 - 5%.
