Development zones at strategic locations provide fi nancial incentives for foreign investment, including the construction of resorts
ury destination and develop high-value tourism where visitors will fi nd rich, diverse and unique experiences that take advantage of the country’s natural assets.
WELCOME FOREIGN INVESTMENT
Jordan’s economy is one of the smallest of all the Middle East countries and unem- ployment consistently lies between 10 per cent and 15 per cent. T e country is heavily dependent on, and welcoming of, foreign assistance and investment. T e government has established a number of development zones at strategic locations – including the Dead Sea Development Zone and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone – that pro- vide financial incentives for investment including the construction of resorts. Both of these assisted regions have been funda- mentally important for the encouragement of new tourism development and, overall, there are at least 20 hotel projects planned in Jordan from 2013 onwards. Jordan’s existing accommodation is
predominantly hotels with some luxury camping and the recent arrival of eco lodges. Over the past fi ve years, the number of bed- rooms in hotels has increased by 9 per cent to over 23,000. Much of this growth has been in four and fi ve-star developments which collectively handle almost two-thirds of all bed nights. Interestingly, all internationally- branded four and fi ve-star hotels have spa facilities, most notably in the resorts around
SPA BUSINESS 3 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
Tourism makes up 18 per cent of GDP in Jordan and new hotel investment in the Dead Sea region exceeds US$119m. Existing operators include Mövenpick (above and below left)
the Dead Sea, the southern coastal town of Aqaba and in the capital, Amman. The Dead Sea resorts have amassed a
strong cluster of fi rst-class hotels from oper- ators such as Kempinski with its Anantara Spa, Mövenpick featuring the Zara Spa and Six Senses Evason Ma’in Hot Springs. T e Jordan Tourist Board estimates that cur-
rent hotel investment in this destination (up to 2012) will produce almost 1,000 additional rooms with investment exceeding us$119m (€84m, £74m). Most notable is Jordan’s fi rst Islamic-themed resort – based on Islamic architecture and social values – that’s set for completion in 2012. The us$100m (€71m, £62m) project, being developed by Sama Jor- dan for Investment, Real Estate and Tourism Development and Jordan Agriculture Engi- neers Association, will include 1,000 suites and a 40,000sq m (430,556sq ſt ) lagoon. In the Red Sea resort of Aqaba, a fi ve-star
Kempinski resort has recently opened ahead of major developments that are expected to fuel tourism growth. T ere has been a reported us$20bn (€14bn, £12bn) worth of investment poured into the region by Gulf and European investors.
Other developments include the relo-
cation of Aqaba’s port, connection to the national rail system and leisure projects such as the ongoing development at Tala Bay, which will comprise at least fi ve more hotels (including a Hilton); Saraya Aqaba, launching in 2012, that will incorporate fi ve fi ve-star hotels – including Jumeirah, Star- wood and Nikki Beach; and Ayla Oasis, a phased project over the next eight years, which will also feature fi ve hotels with a total of 1,540 rooms. T e largest real estate and tourism project in
Aqaba is Marsa Zayed, a us$10bn (€7bn, £6bn) marina community which will cover 3.2sq km (1.2sq mile). When complete in 2017 it will boast a state-of-the-art cruise ship terminal, more than 300 yacht berths, 30,000 residences and eight hotels with a total of 3,000 rooms. Marsa Zayed is being developed by the Al Maa- bar Jordan Real Estate Development Company, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi based A1 Maa- bar International Investments. Elsewhere in Jordan, Starwood Hotels &
Resorts is to debut its St Regis brand with the 2014 opening of the 270-room St Regis Amman, plus 80-branded residences.
TOURISM GROWTH
Tourism in Jordan has been a growth phenomenon founded on an ambitious strategy and unambiguous government support. Since 2005, there has been a dou- bling of tourism receipts with the number of
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